Relatives of Mary Eick are focused on getting answers surrounding her death after an aggravated burglary late last month.
Mary was found Dec. 27 by her son, Robert Eick, and paramedics at the bottom of her basement stairs in her home in the 400 block of Tuscarawas Avenue NW.
It's unclear what, if anything, was taken or how Mary ended up at the bottom of the stairs, but police said her death is suspicious, and investigators noted it was the second time her home had been burglarized in nine years.
"It is very, very difficult. You can't concentrate. You can't sleep. You can't eat. It's just very nerve-wracking," Robert said. "I just hope that justice, we come to a conclusion on this, some kind of closure so at least the family knows what happened."
Mary was described as a generous and active woman who still drove.
"She was very warm and very caring and loved children especially her grandchildren."
Robert said his mother and other relatives spent December 26 at his house. Around 5 p.m., family members took Mary to her home, which is just a few blocks away.
On December 27, Robert went to his mother's house to take out garbage and check on her. However, when he couldn't open locked doors, he called firefighters who pried open a door.
One of the firefighters found her barely conscious in the basement.
"She was mumbling a few words like she was cold. She was cold," Robert recalled.
Mary died a few days later at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.
According to police, they received a 911 call just before 7:30 p.m. Investigators said Mary had been lying on the floor for at least 24 hours. Her death is being investigated as "suspicious." Authorities are waiting for DNA evidence from an autopsy, police said.
Police said Mary was not physically beaten, but did suffer some blunt force trauma, possible from falling down the stairs.
Mary's home was first burglarized in 2008. In that case, $54,000 in gold coins were taken, police said. That burglary also remains unsolved.
In the recent case, police are looking for information on an unknown make and model of a vehicle that was last seen parked between 8:30-9:00 p.m., Monday, Dec. 26 near Mary's house. The vehicle was described as having "odd-shaped tail lights."
Anyone who knows anything should call the Brewster Police Department at 330-830-4272.
