Editor’s Note: This story by John Lippman was first published by the Valley News on Jan. 20.
The woman whose body workers found at a Casella Waste Systems recycling processing center in Hartford earlier this week has been identified as that of town resident Jessica Morehouse, Hartford police said in a news release Friday afternoon.
“Preliminary autopsy results indicate that this is likely an accidental death” and that investigators have determined that “Morehouse was more than likely sleeping in a dumpster,” according to the news release.
Police think Morehouse’s body had been transported Tuesday morning in a truck’s dumpster bin to Casella’s facility, located off Route 4 in White River Junction, where it was discovered when the bins were being unloaded.
Hartford police had tentatively identified the body of a woman earlier in the week but said they were holding off publicly announcing the identity pending notification of next of kin.
Police said that Casella picks up recycling bins from numerous businesses in the Hartford area and investigators are still in the process of determining from which location the bin containing Morehouse’s body had been transported.
Police do not yet know the cause of death but have said it appears to be an isolated incident and there is no risk to the community.