The smell from inside a New Orleans home alarmed anyone who came close. It seemed something was very wrong inside. Barbara Hainsworth, a 73-year-old former doctor, lived with her son, Charles Hainsworth. Investigators entered the home on May 7, 2025, and found a horrific scene. Not only was the home filled with trash, feces, and animals, but investigators reportedly found the mummified body of Charles Hainsworth inside.
The home had been on the radar of police and the city’s Healthy Homes Administration for a long time, according to NOLA.com. Barbara Hainsworth faced a fine of more than $6,000 in 2024 and an order to clean up her home, which the city deemed a “nuisance.” But when investigators arrived on May 7, they found overgrown weeds, trash, and the body of Charles Hainsworth, who weighed nearly 600 pounds.
According to court documents obtained by WDSU, Barbara Hainsworth identified the body to the police. “That’s my son. He died about nine months ago,” she reportedly said.
Orleans Parish Coroner Dwight McKenna confirmed the death to NOLA.com. “The body had been in there for months – estimating about nine months,” he said. “The odor is pretty bad. The odor … alerted the neighbors.”
An unidentified neighbor shared insight with NOLA.com.
“When she walked around the neighborhood, she pushed this little baby stroller,” the neighbor said. “And then she would come back with the baby stroller filled with junk and trash. It honestly looked like she would go through people’s alleyways and dig in their garbage cans.”
Per court documents, Barbara Hainsworth worked as a licensed physician in Louisiana until 2016. The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners stripped her license due to “a psychiatric condition” that impaired her ability to practice medicine.
Additionally, the former physician had a history of disappearing. In 2021 and again in 2022, her son reported her missing. The story struck neighbor George Ramirez, who didn’t understand why no one noticed Charles Hainsworth’s death.
“How did nobody notice this man gone, no relatives or friends?” Ramirez said to NOLA.com. “I always felt something was off with it.”
The city of New Orleans released a statement about the home to WDSU.
“DCE began exploring services to sanitize the property, while other City agencies worked on plans for mosquito abatement and rodent control. A DCE contractor is currently on standby to perform emergency abatement procedures after the premises is cleared of biohazards,” the statement reads in part.
Emergency responders took Barbara Hainsworth to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation. It’s unclear if she will face legal ramifications.
