Brooklyn woman, 62, found dead in Brownsville apartment was homicide victim; ME says ‘willful neglect’ may have had role in death

Cops said “willful neglect” may have contributed to the death of a Lorraine Bumbury, a 62-year-old Brooklyn woman found lifeless on a couch in her apartment, and her ex-husband said none of her relatives were looking out for her.

Bumbury had suffered from arteriosclerotic and cardiovascular disease before she was discovered dead in January in her Brownsville Houses apartment on Osborn St., police said.

But the city Medical Examiner deemed Bumbury’s Jan. 19 death a homicide after determining that while she suffered from heart disease, “willful neglect” may have played a role, police said late Wednesday.

Bumbury was not in touch with one of her grown children but it wasn’t immediately clear if she was supposed to be cared for by other relatives or health care providers, police said.

Her ex-husband, Patrick Bumbury, 67, said two months passed before he even learned she was dead. He said he got the word from a health care provider who called in March to offer condolences.

“I said, ‘What? Condolences?’” he recalled Thursday. “I couldn’t take that news.”

He said he and his ex-wife had been divorced for seven years, and that she had since moved in with another man. But he said that man was no longer around.

He said their 39-year-old daughter had been living with him. He said they have a 37-year-old son, who is mentally disabled.

Bumbury said when the condolence call came, his family was confused.

“My daughter was worrying that it was her brother, the son,” he said. “He’s like 37. He was born with a mental disability. Then we figured out it was her.”

He said he had talked with cops about her death.

“They’re still investigating. They asked if someone was living with her and I said yes,” he said. “But I haven’t seen him.”