Couple Finds Dead Woman's Body During Home Tour

JANESVILLE, Wis. -- A real estate agent will likely do a house check before bringing in prospective customers after one couple happened upon a homeowner in bed -- dead.

Linda Chabucos-Galow, a real estate agent with Shorewest, stood in the dining room while Justin and Colleen McKeen walked through a house Monday night.

Before long, she heard Colleen scream.

"I thought, 'What's wrong?' Maybe it was a dead mouse or something," Chabucos-Galow said.

But then she peered into the bedroom and saw the body of Linda L. O'Leary, 55, the owner of the home. She had been dead for about two weeks, officials said.

"It looked like a Halloween prop," Chabucos-Galow said.

The uncovered body was wearing dark shorts. Chabucos-Galow said O'Leary's legs were wrapped in material that appeared similar to cheesecloth or support hose.

"If we spent five minutes in there, I'd be stretching it," Chabucos-Galow said.

She told the couple: "'We need to leave. This is not right. We need to get out of here."'

Gale Kent, the Coldwell Banker First United Realty agent who listed the house, said the property was for sale "for a while," but wouldn't say how many times it had been shown in recent weeks.

"I don't want to say anything because I haven't talked to the police yet," Kent said.

An autopsy determined O'Leary had been dead for two to three weeks, Rock County Coroner Jenifer Keach said Wednesday. The cause of death remained under investigation, but O'Leary appeared to have died of natural causes and no foul play was suspected, the coroner said.

Chabucos-Galow said she set up the showing without knowing the homeowner's identity.

After entering the home, she noticed a faint odor but thought it was from the mess in the house or the countertop full of dishes. She saw unopened mail.

"I've smelled death. I know what death smells like," she said. "I can't believe my sinuses were that bad."

Associated Press
Published May 2, 2007