Authorities are still working to identify a third person found inside the Burlington, Connecticut, house.
BURLINGTON, Conn. — A mother and son have been identified as two of three people whose skeletal remains were found inside a foreclosed Connecticut home after a new buyer purchased the property at auction, authorities said.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner identified the remains as 54-year-old Sally Ann Cash and her son, Brian Cash, who was in his early 20s. The third person has not been identified. State police said the causes and manners of death remain pending, and investigators have not announced evidence of foul play.
State troopers were called at 4:46 p.m. June 14 to a home on Stanwich Lane in Burlington after the buyer reported finding human remains inside the house. Police said the buyer had purchased the property “as is” during a foreclosure auction earlier in June. The remains were described as skeletal, leaving investigators to rely on medical examiner work, forensic testing and records tied to the property. Authorities said the home had been in foreclosure before the sale. Town records showed Paul Cash and Sally Ann Cash bought the four-bedroom home in 2019 for more than $800,000.
The house sits on a little more than two acres in Burlington, a town west of Hartford. Records reviewed after the discovery showed the home was built in 2002 and had later entered foreclosure proceedings. The property was sold at auction June 6 for $525,000, about $300,000 below its bank appraisal. The buyer later went to the house and found the remains. Police have not said where inside the house the remains were found, how long the three people had been dead or whether all three died at the same time. The medical examiner’s office said DNA testing was still being used to identify the third person.
Investigators said there was no immediate sign of a criminal act, but the case remained open. The medical examiner had not determined the cause of death for any of the three people as of the latest update. State police said there was no current threat to the public. A neighbor told reporters she had seen an older man taking out trash several months before the discovery, but police have not said whether that account is tied to the investigation. Authorities have also not released details about who last had contact with the people connected to the home.
The foreclosure has raised questions about the timeline of the deaths and the condition of the property before it was sold. Court and property records showed the mortgage had not been paid since December 2024, and utilities had been shut off for months. The property had signs posted near the home, including warnings that said “Keep Out” and “Owner Occupied Premises.” The condition of the house and the posted signs appear to have kept people from entering before the auction was completed. A court-appointed attorney involved in the foreclosure later questioned whether the sale could face legal review depending on when the former occupants died.
Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, which was connected to the foreclosure case, said in a statement that its sympathies were with the families affected by the discovery. State police, the medical examiner’s office and the state forensic lab are working on the investigation. Officials have not said when the third person may be identified or when autopsy findings will be complete. The pending findings are expected to determine whether the deaths were from natural causes, accident, suicide, homicide or another manner. Until then, key questions about the home and the people inside it remain unanswered.
The case has drawn attention because the remains were found only after the property changed hands. The home’s sale followed months of unpaid mortgage activity and signs of neglect around the property. Police have not announced charges, arrests or suspects. Authorities have also not said whether Paul Cash, who owned the home with Sally Ann Cash, has been located or identified as the third person. The medical examiner’s office said the third set of remains was still undergoing testing.
As of Wednesday, the investigation remained active in Burlington. Officials had identified Sally Ann Cash and Brian Cash, but the third person and the causes of death were still pending. The next major update is expected from the medical examiner’s office or state police when forensic testing is complete.
Author note: Last updated June 24, 2026.