Twins Found Dead After 3 Years: Men Rotting in Recliners Since 2011
Twins were found dead in their Chattanooga, Tenn. home, and authorities believe the 63-year-old Andrew and Anthony Johnson have been dead since 2011. When police entered the home alongside the twins' relatives March 29, they found both men rotting in their recliners.
The twins who were found dead were Andrew Gary Johnson and Anthony Larry Johnson, and there were no signs of foul play, according to a press release from the Chattanooga Police Department. The Johnsons' remains were skeletal with flesh still clinging to their bones, and authorities believe the deaths were of natural causes, though they are still awaiting autopsy results from the Hamilton County medical examiner.
The brothers rotting for three years appears to be from the hermit lifestyle that they cultivated — they rarely went out, never spoke to anyone, and even when they were seen outside, barely talked to each other.
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"I didn't even know their names," Linda Maffett, a retired neighbor who lived across the street from the twins, told the Associated Press. "It's a strange story, it's a sad story. I think it's sad that they were sitting there that long with nobody checking on them."
Police did attempt to check on the twins in 2011 at the request of relatives, though. Authorities found that mail had stopped being delivered to the house, the grass remained cut and no foul odors were emanating from the residence, so they had no reason to force their way inside. The lights remained off even at nighttime, leading officers to believe the house had been vacated.
"At that time, family members indicated that they would not have been surprised if the brothers had moved without telling anyone," police said in a press release.
"While this incident is tragic and unfortunate, Andrew and Anthony lived a hermit lifestyle and did not communicate with family or anyone else," the statement continued. "The brothers also gave no indication that would lead anyone to believe they had any type of mental complications … they both had a valid driver's license, insurance, owned vehicles and there were even records of them owning their own businesses."
