Skeleton Found in Wall is Previous Homeowner, Mary Cerruti, Missing Since 2015

January 25, 2018
By: Mike McPadden

Mary Cerruti

Mary Cerruti

HOUSTON, TX — In May 2015, homeowner Mary Cerruti, 61, seemed to simply vanish into thin air. Sadly, now, authorities have revealed that Cerruti actually vanished into the walls of her own house — after a skeleton discovered by new tenants has been positively identified as the missing woman.

While it’s not yet clear how Cerruti died, the bones found in a small space nine feet beneath the attic indicate that Cerruti likely fell through a floorboard and got trapped in a two-foot-wide space behind a bathroom wall.

Searchers also found part of a broken floorboard alongside Cerruti’s remains, along with a pair of eyeglasses she was known to wear. Foul play is not suspected.

When Cerruti disappeared in 2015, her lawn grew wild, her bills went unpaid, and, unfortunately, her six beloved cats died (police found remains of the pets, as well).

Although she was known as somewhat eccentric, Cerruti was well liked. Concerned relatives, friends, and neighbors remained on the hunt for answers. Police searched the house several times, but did not turn up any clues — let alone the tragic answer inside the walls.

After a foreclosure auction on the property, a new resident checked out the attic and looked down through a hole in the floor. He saw what was left of Cerruti. Forensic experts later identified Cerruti through the recovered bones and dental records.

Even though her loved ones are mourning, one friend said Mary Cerruti loved mysteries so much that, “I think she would have thought that was kind of cool that she created the mystery.”

Watch Now:

Next Up

12-Year-Old Celina Mays Was 9 Months Pregnant When She Vanished In 1996

Celina Mays was 12-years-old and two weeks away from giving birth when she disappeared in the middle of the night from her New Jersey home. If you have any information about Celina Mays, please call or text the IN PURSUIT hotline directly: 833-378-7783 (3-PURSUE).

A Woman Disappeared From A Group Hike And Was Never Seen Again

65-year-old Patricia Ann Krieger was hiking with her fiancé and several of his family members when they said she disappeared down the wrong trail.

Ilene Rebecca Scott Disappeared The Day After Her Sixth Birthday In 1980

The 6-year-old California girl was last seen roller skating through her neighborhood on Dec. 20, 1980.

Last Seen In 1995, Lenoria Jones Is Still Missing From Washington State

Lenoria Jones was only 3-years-old when she disappeared without a trace in 1995. If you know anything about this case, please reach Tacoma/Pierce County CrimeStoppers directly: 1-800-222-TIPS. You can also submit any leads online to the Tacoma Police Department.

Inside The 27-Year Investigation Of JonBenét Ramsey’s Murder

On Dec. 26, 1996, the pageant princess was found strangled to death in her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado.

Suspected Texas Serial Killer Taunted Police, May Have Committed Multiple Unsolved Murders, Cops Say

Before his May 2023 arrest, police say Raul Meza Jr. “was ready and prepared to kill again, and he was looking forward to it.”

Two Texas Teens Left After Curfew In 1988 And Never Returned

Police in Carrollton, Texas, initially thought Stacie Madison and Susan Smalley were runaways.

A Texas Child Is Missing After Her Father Allegedly ‘Gave’ Her To Someone At A Convenience Store

Tiara McWilliams had tried in vain to get her daughter, Ameera Deadrick, back from her father for years after a summer trip turned into a permanent arrangement.

Colorado Police Searching For Woman Who Went Missing After Her First Night In Denver

After 32-year-old Indigenous woman Christine Tail moved to Denver with her girlfriend, she mysteriously went missing on June 14, 2023, within her first day in the city.

Mystery Surrounds Case Of California Woman Who Went Missing At A Yoga Retreat In Guatemala

Nancy Ng's family is desperately trying to find answers after the 29-year-old disappeared during a swim while kayaking on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala.