A decomposing body found was found in a Philadelphia basement and has been identified as South Philly teen mom, Erin Schweikert. Schweikert, 18, was last seen by friends and family in late September.
Inqurier.com reports that Schweikert’s “severely” decomposed body was found at 4:45 pm Thursday. Her body was discovered in the basement of a home located within the 2100 block of Porter Street by the police’s Special Victim Unit and sheriff’s deputies.
CBS reported that there was a warrant for robbery at the location, and there was also a tip to the Special Victims Unit, which prompted a search of the home.
Two women and three men were in the home at the time. They were all taken into custody.
Acting Police Commissioner Christine Coulter told outlets on scene Friday that the house had a strong odor, so it would have been impossible for anyone to ignore especially if they were inside the home.
At this time, the cause and manner of the death is undetermined.
Police told outlets that there were no apparent signs of trauma to her body.
CBS reports that the investigators believe that this case is connected to human trafficking.
“We have a lot of young folks out in the world that are taken advantage of. People who want out of that life feel stuck. A lot of it is young ladies from here, and they wind up from here. It’s something that’s very serious. Regardless of how they got into that life, they shouldn’t be forced,” acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter said.
On Oct. 18, Philly PD issued an alert asking for the public’s help in locating Schweikert. She was last seen on Sept. 27 on the 2300 block of South Lee Street.
Friends have created a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.
Schweikert lived on South Lee St. in South Philly and was an avid social media user. She had three Facebook pages, which showcased her and her daughter.
It was reported that no arrests have been made and that the incident is under investigation.
