14.02.2025 09:00
New details have emerged regarding the discovery of the bones of retired nurse Gülşen Çoğulu, who had not been heard from for a long time in İzmir. It has been determined that 87-year-old Gülşen Çoğulu died not 3 years ago, but 10 years ago, and that some of her bones have turned to dust and have been taken for examination in a jar. To identify the unfortunate woman's remains, her mother's grave will be opened.
Gülşen Çoğulu, who lived on the top floor of a 4-story building in the Konak district of İzmir, started living alone after her husband passed away 23 years ago. It was learned that Çoğulu, who has no children from this marriage, lost contact with her stepson R.Ç. from her husband's first marriage during the pandemic. After not being able to reach his stepmother for 3 years, R.Ç. reported the situation to the police. Following this, police teams went to Çoğulu's house in the Barbaros neighborhood, accompanied by R.Ç. and a locksmith. The police teams, who opened the door with the locksmith, experienced the shock of their lives in the bedroom. In their examination of the apartment filled with garbage, they found the bones of Gülşen Çoğulu, whose clothing was partially decayed, on the bed in the bedroom.
BONE FRAGMENTS SENT TO FORENSIC MEDICINE INSTITUTION
The investigation into the death of Gülşen Çoğulu, whose body had decomposed, is ongoing. The bone fragments taken to the İzmir Forensic Medicine Institution were sent to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institution for detailed examination.
"WE DIDN'T NOTICE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A CORPSE SMELL IS"
Kıral İlter, one of the residents of the 5-story, 15-apartment building where the elderly woman lived, told reporters that he moved into the building 2 years ago and did not know the elderly woman. İlter stated that when they moved into the building, it was said that the elderly woman's house had been "empty for 2-3 years," adding, "We didn't encounter anyone upstairs; there was no sound at all. Last year, there was a strong smell for a while, but we thought a dead animal was in the place where the water meters are. That's why we assumed it was that. After that, the smell stopped. We didn't notice because we didn't know what a corpse smell is." Another neighbor, Pervin Acar, also mentioned that she has been living in this apartment for 10 years, that she offered water to Çoğulu a few times years ago, and that she was a good person.
THE DOOR OF THE HOUSE WAS SEALED
In the work carried out by the crime scene investigation teams, it was determined that Çoğulu had passed away a long time ago and that only bones remained of her body. After the prosecutor's examination, the bones were sent to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institution for an autopsy. The door of Gülşen Çoğulu's house was sealed.
DEAD NOT 3 YEARS AGO BUT 10 YEARS AGO
According to a report by Sabah, the initial examination of the bones of the unfortunate woman, which had turned to dust, revealed that she had died approximately 10 years ago, not 3 years ago. It was revealed that some of the elderly woman's bones were placed in a jar and taken away because they had turned to dust.
HER MENTAL STATE WAS NOT STABLE
It was reported that Çoğulu, who was said to have a mental instability due to old age and lived in a hoarding house, was placed in a nursing home by her stepson, and that her neighbors thought the elderly woman was staying in the nursing home. It was also noted that the bad smells in the elderly woman's house were thought to be due to the garbage.
HER MOTHER'S GRAVE WILL BE OPENED
As no relatives of Çoğulu could be reached, it was reported that her mother's grave would be opened for identification purposes. It was learned that Çoğulu, who was financially well-off, had returned to her home of her own accord after leaving the nursing home and that she also had a summer house in Özdere.