Alicia Witt, the singer/songwriter and actress best known for her roles in Twin Peaks and Orange Is the New Black, is mourning the loss of both of her parents.
Alicia became concerned about her parents, 87-year-old Robert and 75-year-old Diane Witt, after she didn't hear from them in several days and was unable to get in touch. She reached out to a cousin who lived nearby and asked them to check in with the couple at their Tatnuck home on the evening of December 20.
Sadly, both Robert and Diana were found dead at their home by the cousin. While authorities have said there is no evidence of foul play, there is definitely a mysterious element to the deaths.
Alicia Witt has released a statement on the deaths of her parents.
"I reached out to a cousin who lives close to my parents to check on them. Sadly, the outcome was unimaginable," she wrote, explaining how her parents were found.
"I ask for some privacy at this time to grieve and to wrap my head around this turn of events, and this surreal loss."
Police were called to the house by the cousin, who struggled to gain entry into the residence. When officers assisted, they found the couple dead.
"There was no trauma," Lieutenant Sean Murtha told The Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
Neighbors reported the couple was having trouble with their furnace and had been using a space heater to warm the home. Worcester Fire Deputy Chief Adam Roche reported that firefighters checked the air quality inside the home but found no noxious gases present.
Neighbors also said the couple was rarely seen outside their home and known to be ill for some time. People around the neighborhood offered to help repair their home as issues arose, but they always politely declined. Still, someone came by to mow the lawn and remove snow over the last few years.
Robert worked as a science teacher at a local middle school before retiring. Diane had her own brush with fame when her over 10-foot-long hair landed her in the Guinness Book of World Records in the 1980s. She also homeschooled Alicia and her brother, Ian.
