The remains of a woman was found some years after her death with the television in her flat still blaring and an array of other items around her body.
Joyce Carol Vincent was born in Hammersmith in October 1965, and at the age of 38, died alone in her London flat sometime in 2003.
However, it wasn’t until three years later in January 2006 that her decomposed body was found by officials from a housing association in North London.
The team were called to repossess the apartment after Vincent failed to pay the rent, but stumbled across the heartbreaking scene.
Her remains were so badly decayed that she could only be formally identified through dental records.
Police later ruled out any third party involvement. While her exact cause of death couldn’t be determined, they said it was likely she died of natural causes, possibly due to asthma.
Filmmaker Carol Morley then set about trying to piece the puzzle of Vincent’s life together, apparently moved by the tragedy.
Morley’s 2011 Dreams of a Life documentary paints Vincent as a woman who was full of life and ambition, but was secretly marred by an undercurrent of isolation and loneliness for reasons that remain a mystery.
Former love interests, colleagues and classmates of Vincent all lifted the lid on what the woman’s life was like, remarking that she was ‘pretty’ and a ‘bright girl’.
She was a sister to four other women and had a rich employment history, having worked for Ernst & Young, a well-known accounting firm, among others.
Nothing appears to answer Morley’s question about how Vincent ended up being forgotten about for a few years.
A former boyfriend said he dated Vincent for three years and was shocked to learn of her death.
According to Vibe Topics, he said: “You look back and think, I wish I’d asked more, wish I’d understood more.”
Yet the documentary suggests no one really knew Joyce at the core.
Her colleagues reportedly had conflicting ideas about Vincent’s departure when she quit in 2001, believing she went to travel or had been offered another job.
Still, it is her final moments that are perhaps the most revealing to how Vincent led her life.
Bailiffs found her with the TV still on with a pile of unopened mail by her front door.
Dishes were reportedly still in the sink and some wrapped Christmas presents were discovered nearby, which gave the authorities an indication of the time of year when Vincent might’ve died.
People on Reddit say the story is a stark reminder of the human cost of isolation and highlights the importance on checking in on others.
One user wrote: “Lord stuff like this made me reevaluate myself. I decide to make it a point to text friends and family. Visit as much as I can. I don’t want to end up like her. She shouldn’t have ended up like that either.”
Others said they stopped messaging people and quit social media pages for months and ‘no one reached out’.
“I know people are busy with their own lives, but sometimes you think ‘am I so unlikeable?’ It makes you bitter and you sort of turn in on yourself,” another penned.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
