My First News Item
My Nine News ItemJoyce Carol Vincent
An English woman passed away in her small apartment in north London, and nobody knew about it for over two years. Before she died, she had cut off contact with almost everyone she knew. In 2001, she left her job and went to live in a shelter for people who experience domestic abuse.
You enter a messy apartment with piles of unopened mail by the door and a sink full of dirty dishes. The television is playing, and there's a stack of wrapped Christmas presents, ready to be sent out.
When inspectors from a housing association in north London entered Joyce Vincent's apartment, they found it in a messy state. Surprisingly, Joyce was also there, but she was hardly recognizable. Her body had badly decayed because she had been dead for over two years.
Joyce Carol Vincent lived in a small social accommodation called a bedsit in London, UK. On January 5, 2006, officials came to her flat to take possession of it because she hadn't paid rent for a long time. However, it is believed that she actually passed away in December 2003.
Once the cause of death was confirmed, only one question remained: how could someone be deceased for two years without anyone noticing?
It is truly sad that someone could pass away and remain unnoticed for several years. What made it even more puzzling was that Joyce Vincent was only 38 years old, had been employed for most of her life, had family and friends, and was not known to have any issues with drugs or the law.
After hearing about Vincent's story in the news, filmmaker Carol Morley was deeply moved and decided to create a documentary called "Dreams of a Life." To understand more about the tragic events, she reached out to people like Vincent's ex-boyfriends and former coworkers who could provide insight into her life and untimely passing.
Martin Lister had been in a relationship with Joyce Vincent for three years and occasionally stayed in touch with her until 2002. He was completely unaware of her death until he saw Morley's advertisement seeking people who knew Vincent. The news came as a shock to him because he remembered her as a dedicated and hardworking individual who held good jobs. Lister was also surprised to learn that she had been living in public housing.
“You look back and think, I wish I’d asked more, wish I’d understood more,” he told Morley.
As more people shared information, it became clear that her life was full of mysteries and secrets.
Joyce Carol Vincent was born on October 19, 1965, in London's Hammersmith district. She used to work at the accounting company Ernst & Young until she left in 2001 without explaining why. Her colleagues had different stories about her departure, with some saying she was leaving with a group of 20 people, while others believed she had been offered another job elsewhere.
It was discovered that after leaving her job, Joyce Carol Vincent stayed at a home for victims of domestic violence before her death.
Regarding her family, she was the youngest of five sisters, but the only one who lived in the UK. Her father worked as a carpenter, and her mother passed away when she was young.
In the years before her death, Joyce Carol Vincent had distanced herself from her family, likely due to the person she chose to date.
The time that passed after Joyce Vincent's death is still confusing, but it's clear that her outward life didn't always match what was happening inside. It's a story of irony and coincidence. Nowadays, with everyone so connected, the idea that someone who seemed normal could be dead for almost two years without anyone noticing sounds ridiculous.
Just like how people share their best pictures on social media, Joyce Vincent might have presented a positive image in real life. No one knew what was happening behind closed doors.
Joyce Vincent had asthma. While the exact cause of her death wasn't determined, it's believed that she might have passed away due to an asthma attack.