28-2-2025 (TAIPEI) Authorities in Taiwan have discovered that an elderly woman preserved her deceased daughter’s remains in their shared flat in New Taipei City’s Ruifang district for six years, maintaining round-the-clock air conditioning to prevent decomposition.
The astonishing revelation came to light only after the mother, facing financial difficulties and unable to settle mounting electricity bills, confided in a social worker about her unusual living arrangement. According to officials, the daughter—identified only as Ms Li, who would have been 53 this year—had apparently requested before her passing that her body not be buried, prompting her mother’s unconventional response.
Upon receiving notification from the Social Affairs Bureau, Ruifang Police officers attended the residence where they discovered Ms Li’s mummified remains. The scene was promptly secured for forensic examination, with prosecutors subsequently attending to oversee investigations.
“We’ve conducted initial examinations and presently have no reason to suspect foul play,” a prosecution spokesperson confirmed. “Religious beliefs and the daughter’s explicit pre-death instructions appear to have motivated the mother’s actions.” A comprehensive post-mortem has been scheduled to establish the precise cause of death and provide further clarity.
Remarkably, neighbours in the five-storey block remained entirely unaware of the situation despite its duration. Several residents expressed profound shock upon learning that the elderly woman, whom they had presumed lived alone, had in fact been cohabiting with her daughter’s preserved remains for more than half a decade.
“There was never any unusual odour,” commented one bewildered neighbour. “We would see the mother occasionally when she ventured out for groceries, but she kept very much to herself.”
Local village leader Xie Yongchang acknowledged failed attempts to contact the household previously. “The flat lacks a doorbell, which complicated matters,” he explained. “When we tried reaching the mother regarding uncollected Double Ninth Festival elderly benefits last year, she was either temporarily in care or otherwise unavailable.”
Investigators discovered that the mother, who recently suffered a stroke, had been meticulously maintaining the body—reportedly applying oils to the skin—but could no longer manage this ritual daily. Forensic experts noted the corpse had effectively mummified, with evidence suggesting preservative substances had been applied.
