Woman living with decomposing bodies for several weeks, police say

Friday, 4 July 2025 13:00

Police say a woman was living with the bodies of two men for almost a month after their deaths in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills.

Behind the door of the decrepit two-storey home on Cleveland Street, authorities made the chilling discovery of the two elderly men's decomposing bodies.

Eleanor Barker had been living with them, police say even after the men's deaths, which they believe were almost a month ago.

"They were both really nice, always passed them on the street, one of the guys used to have a VB long neck out the front there," neighbour Mitchell Morri said.

A friend of Barker's contacted police yesterday after speaking to the 63-year-old, prompting a welfare check.

Police found the body of a man in his 70s, and then upstairs a man in his 80s, both believed to have died at different times over the past few weeks.

"I mean I've always seen this house, I didn't know if people lived in it, but it doesn't really look like people do," neighbour Aisha Mingai said.

Detectives went door-to-door today trying to establish a timeline of when the two men were last seen.

Neighbours told 9News they had spoken with Barker in recent days and described her as seemingly upbeat and chatty.

The bodies of two men, believed to have died at different times, have been found inside a home in inner Sydney.

Detectives are speaking with the 63-year-old as they try to figure out how the men died and why their deaths were not reported.

Police have made no arrests as they await autopsies to confirm the causes of death.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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