Hoarding Lifestyle Presents Challenges to Local Bomb Squad

Tuscola, Illinois University of Illinois police reported to a call of a missing elderly man who neighbors claimed had not been seen for days. Police knocked on the man's front door but did not get a answer. Upon investigating the residence, police were able to enter the home through a door in the back of the house. Inside the home, the police found the dead body of 70-year old resident. He reportedly died of a hear attack related to complications from diabetes.

In a search of the home which was littered with items (the man was reportedly a hoarder), police found two military munition items. The police then called the Champaign police bomb squad for technical support. Unable to utilize the robot in the house due to the limited space available due to the hoarding lifestyle lead by the deceased, the bomb squad had to relocate the munitions by hand. The munitions were safely loaded into the vehicle and transported the two munitions (a small projectile and a mortar round  sizes and types not reported) to a remote location where they were safely disposed of through open detonation.