A shocking discovery was made on June 14 when the new owner of a foreclosed home in Burlington, Connecticut, found the skeletal remains of three people inside. The property, located off Stanwich Lane, was purchased at an “as is” foreclosure auction on June 6 for $525,000. Attorney Christopher Thogmartin, who conducted the auction, noted the property was severely overgrown with vegetation, making it impossible to determine if it was occupied. The couple, Paul and Sally Anne Cash, had stopped paying their mortgage in December 2024, leading to the foreclosure process, and had not engaged with the court or mortgage company.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified two of the remains as Sally Anne Cash, 54, and her son Brian Cash, 22; a third set of remains is still undergoing DNA testing. The cause and manner of death for all three are pending, and state police have indicated no foul play is suspected, nor is there a threat to the public. However, the advanced state of decomposition suggests the bodies had been there for a significant period. The home was appraised at $850,000 by the bank but sold for $525,000, despite an estimated $300,000 in equity, which surprised Thogmartin as the owners did not file for bankruptcy to protect the property.
The discovery has raised legal questions regarding the validity of the foreclosure judgment, particularly depending on the identities of the third individual and the precise time of death. Thogmartin filed a motion seeking guidance from the court on this matter. The buyer acquired the home "as is," a common condition in foreclosure sales, and experts suggest this unusual event, while extreme, fits within the "buyer beware" nature of such transactions. The mortgage lender is not required to conduct a walkthrough before selling a foreclosed home. Foreclosure records indicate the process began on August 1, 2025, after the Cashes failed to make mortgage payments since December 2024. State marshals had difficulty accessing the overgrown property during the foreclosure process, and the homeowners did not appear to have any public digital footprint.
