Bargain hunter bought Connecticut mansion for a pittance only to find family decomposing inside. Now mystery turns even darker as likely cause of death and troubling past are revealed

By WILL POTTER IN BURLINGTON, CONNECTICUT Published: 23:21, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 23:25, 23 July 2026 On paper, it looked like the ultimate steal - a large Connecticut home on sizable grounds that sold at at auction for far less than its estimated $800,000 value. But buyer Edward Marchion was in for a very nasty shock after winning the four-bed, three bathroom home with a bid of just $525,000. On arriving at shingle-covered property in Burlington in June to inspect his purchase, he was horrified to discover the skeletal remains of three dead bodies inside. Two of them have since been identified as Sally Anne Cash, 54, and her son Brian, 22.  Sally's husband Paul Cash is believed to be the third, as-yet unidentified victim, according to papers filed by a lawyer on behalf of Marchion.  Police officers said they were working on the assumption that the Cashes had been gassed to death by a recently-installed generator, one neighbor told the Daily Mail on Tuesday.  'We were told it might be the generator, or carbon monoxide poisoning, that caused it,' said that neighbor, who did not wish to give their name. In June, the skeletal remains of three bodies were discovered rotting in this four-bedroom home in Burlington, Connecticut. The house seen years ago before it became overgrown  Authorities say the bodies likely lay in the home for years before they were found by Edward Marchion, 71, who won the property at an auction without looking inside  The skeletal remains of Sally Anne Cash and her son Brian were found in the home, with a third unidentified set of remains also discovered inside  Edward Marchion, 71, told the Daily Mail this week that he bid for the property because it was a 'good deal', before he had the shock discovery of the skeletal remains inside  A spokesperson with the Connecticut State Police did not deny the theory about the Cashes potentially being gassed to death. He told the Daily Mail that their investigation was ongoing and that it would be inappropriate to comment prior to its conclusion, referring to a press release that noted no crime is believed to have been committed.  While the neighbor that the Daily Mail spoke to implied that the Cash family befell a tragic accident, another local spoke of their strange behavior prior to their deaths.  The family bought the property in 2019 and made their last $3,000-a-month mortgage payment in late 2024, although it is still unclear when they died.  It went into foreclosure in August 2025, with the house badly dilapidated when the Daily Mail visited this week.  Another neighbor said her most recent sighting of one of the Cash family had come in 2023 and involved an unpleasant encounter with Paul. That woman, who did not wish to give her name, called him 'rude' and 'a real shut-in.'  She said she'd spot Paul leaving the family trash out at the end of the lane.  He would wear a heavy duty face mask for years after the Covid pandemic ended, even though he was outside and a considerable distance from any other people.  ‘People would say hi to him, but he would just bark back and seemed rude,’ the neighbor said, adding that they had not seen anyone emerge from the Cash family home in at least three years. The neighbor said their community has been shocked and on edge ever since the bodies were discovered, adding: 'It's very quiet around here. 'This sort of thing just doesn't happen around here.' Public records show the four-bedroom home was valued at over $800,000, but it was snapped up by Marchion for just $525,000 Police officers said they were working on the assumption that the Cashes had been gassed to death by a recently-installed generator, one neighbor told the Daily Mail Marchion said he was only allowed to view the property from the outside before winning the auction, and he found it was 'unkempt'  The Cash family appear to have lived an extremely private life and there is no trace of them online. Multiple relatives contacted by the Daily Mail did not respond to a request for comment.  Edward Marchion, 71, who placed the winning bid for the property, told the Daily Mail on Tuesday that he was only allowed to inspect the exterior of the property before the auction. Marchion described it as 'unkempt' with an 'overgrown' yard and piles of trash outside - but said the price was so cheap that he was still very keen to buy as it was 'such a good deal.' After winning it and getting the keys, he went inside and found the bodies whose discovery has roiled the tony area.  Speaking outside his comfortable Colonial-style home in Newington, Marchion struck a surprisingly nonchalant tone about the nightmarish discovery. 'These things happen,' he said, when asked by the Daily Mail how he felt on finding the Cash family's remains.  Marchion's attempt to close on the home has been halted by a judge in the wake of the bodies being discovered inside.  Local attorney John Lewis has filed papers in court warning that the foreclosure notice against the home may now be defective. Despite the horror discovery, Marchion said he was relaxed about the prospect of potentially losing out on the bargain, saying: ‘I’ll either get a refund, or they’ll let me close... We’ll see' Marchion's auction win can be voided if it is discovered that the Cash family were dead when the home was foreclosed upon, Lewis said.  That is because any heirs, the IRS and the Attorney General 'were not made parties to the auction,' Lewis alleged.  Any decision on whether to allow Marchion to complete the purchase also depends on whether Paul Cash is ultimately identified as the third body.  A hearing to decide on the fate of the house will take place at a later date.   Marchion says he did not have any firm plans for the property and that he has never flipped a house before.  He was relaxed about the prospect of potentially losing out on the bargain, saying: ‘I’ll either get a refund, or they’ll let me close.