HOUSTON, TX – The decomposed bodies of two individuals were discovered inside an 18-wheeler in northwest Houston. Firefighters accessed the truck using a ladder to retrieve the bodies, which were described as having an “almost like mummies” appearance by the Houston police.
Investigators presume that the pair may have resided within the truck, stationed near W. 34th Street and U.S. 290, on Milwee Street. It remains uncertain how the two people lost their lives, and the heavy decomposition of their bodies left no clear signs of trauma. Therefore, it will be up to the medical examination to reveal more about their demise.
The Houston Police received the tip-off to the discovery in an unusual manner. A convenience store patron overheard two homeless individuals discussing the presence of bodies in the back of a truck and decided to alert the police. Upon their arrival at the appointed location, they found a group of Purple Heart donation trucks.
Houston Police’s Lt. R. Willkens stated that a hole had been cut into the top of the truck containing the bodies. Firefighters used a ladder to investigate and confirm the presence of the bodies. Lt. Willkens also stated that these individuals might have been homeless and had been using the truck as a makeshift home.
A company worker on site reported that the trucks were loaded with clothing donations destined for Value Village thrift stores. He added that cases of homeless people cutting into the trailers had been a chronic issue.
The fact that one trailer (where the bodies were found) was brimming with clothes led employee Howard Penright to theorize, “When you jump in there, it’s just like quicksand. You’re going to sink down in there, and you probably couldn’t say anything. That’s probably why we never heard nobody.”