Body found in Valencia apartment after 15 years

The remains of a man who had not been seen in years were found in an apartment in Valencia last week, after heavy rainfall led to flooding on the top floor of the building.

According to news outlet Levante-EMV, neighbours had contacted the police and fire brigade after black, strong-smelling liquid began to leak into their property from the apartment above.

Officers eventually succeeded in gaining access to the man's apartment through a window as they could not open the door. Inside, they found the man's skeletal remains in the run-down property, which had been overrun by pigeons.

The man, known as Antonio, had last been seen by his neighbours in 2010. He lived alone and had no contact with his two adult sons.  A subsequent police investigation estimated that he died in 2010 at the age of 70 or 71.

His disappearance from society went largely unnoticed due to the fact that all his utility bills continued to be paid, as his pension continued to be deposited in his bank account. However, one neighbour told the newspaper they had noticed a bad smell emanating from the apartment in 2014.

In recent years, the building management had taken the deceased to court for 11,000 euros' of debt when they were unable to get in touch with him directly. The court ruled that the man's account be seized in order to repay the debt. As a result, neighbours assumed he left the building and had gone to live in a retirement home.