Philadelphia investigators searching rowhome basement for possible buried body: Sources

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A tip about a missing woman's body led crime scene investigators to a home in the Wissinoming section of Philadelphia.

Investigators were met with a hoarding situation when they arrived at the home on the 5200 block of Burton Street.

Sources say investigators got word that a woman's body was buried in the basement of a home. In order to check on the validity of those claims, Licenses and Inspections is working to clear out the home of debris.

So far, no body has been found.

"You never know who is your next-door neighbor. It is surprising," said one neighbor who did not want to be identified.

Three dumpsters full of garbage and discarded belongings were carried out of the row home.

"I knew it was dirty in there, but I didn't realize it was this dirty," said another neighbor.

Crime scene investigators need all of this cleared out before they can focus their attention on the basement of the home. Sources say it's where a woman's body may be buried. She hasn't been seen for roughly eight years.

"It smelled like a rotten egg odor out here," said a woman a few doors down. "It's scary. I don't know what happened in that house."

Neighbors describe a family living in and out of that home up until a few days ago. Now they're left wondering what happened there amongst the trash and piles of refuse.

"My heart goes out to the kids. They're very sweet children," said a woman across the street.