Barbara Hovey Novaes is a 61-year-old woman from Medford, Massachusetts who was found dead behind her home on Monday, May 23. The police have opened up a death investigation.

Marian Ryan, A Middlesex District Attorney in a press conference on Monday night said that authorities were on the scene on Monday at the Emery Street residence for the ongoing investigation.

What has Barbara Hovey Novaes’s son said?

Ms.Novaes’s son, Ryan who is in his 20s says that he called the police Medford police around 6:45 a.m on Monday to report his mom missing. Ryan says that he last saw his mom on Sunday afternoon in their shared home in Medford. He went on to say that his mom was going to get her nails done. Ryan woke up on Monday to find the front door open and his mom’s keys. phone and purse are still in the house. This and finding his mom’s car was also in the driveway made him realize that something was amiss.

Ryan called the Medford police as earlier mentioned and they responded to the home and began investigating immediately. At 8:30 a.m, a Medford police officer found Hove’s body inside a recycling container in an enclosed area under a porch in the home’s backyard.

A missing person’s poster of Hovey has been doing rounds on social media but Ryan could not confirm whether the picture was that of her mom.

What has the Medford Police said?

Investigators believe that Ms.Novaes’s death is suspicious and are now asking anyone who may have been in the Emery Street neighborhood Sunday night or early Monday to contact them. They are also looking to speak with anyone who may have a CCTV video that would show the Emery Street area and down onto Winthrop Street.

Anyone with relevant video or information is asked to contact the Medford Police Department at 781-395-1212.

The Medford police were further asked whether they had contact with the deceased before to which they said they did, though they did not elaborate on the issues.

Who was Barbara Hovey Novaes?

Ms.Novaes was part of the Grace Episcopal Church and also worked at Everett Co-operative Bank at 419 Broadway, Everett.

The church wrote partly in a statement,

“Dear ones, It is with great sorrow that I share the news that Barbara Hovey Novaes has passed into eternal life. The circumstances surrounding her death are not available, and out of respect for the family, I encourage us all to hold fast in prayer and wait as the ongoing investigation unfolds. The kids have asked that this only be posted on our Grace Community pages; please respect this on their behalf and do not share. ”

Michael Mclaughlin who was accustomed to seeing Ms. Novaes occasionally wrote in a statement, “Heart broken is an understatement for how I am feeling. When something like this occurs in life it truly makes you question so much. Rest In Peace Barbara Hovey Novaes. You sadly are gone but won’t be forgotten. When I saw you at the end of last week. I would have never imagined it would be the last time, I will think of you every time I walk in the bank which is mostly daily.”