The Most Memorable Hoarders: Where Are They Now?

A&E's gripping reality show "Hoarders" follows the lives of people with mental disorders that cause them to obsessively keep their belongings, resulting in poor living conditions. While over 16 million people can be labeled as "hoarders," according to Salon, the series focuses on the most extreme and shocking cases.

While the typical episode usually consists of a professional clean-up team coming in to declutter the disastrous home, HuffPost argues that this approach is often only a short-term solution. Getting to the root of the hoarder's issues should be done through professional counseling. It is often unknown whether or not the subjects change their lives around or resort back to their old ways when filming has concluded. However, there have been a few documented cases as to how some of the most memorable participants ended up years after their respective episodes aired. Their stories range from complete tragedies to full recoveries. 

On the second episode of the ninth season which aired in 2016, viewers followed the story of Roger Stank and his wife Ilona (referred to as Gerri) who lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In the episode, the couple was in the midst of being investigated by city inspectors, who declared the property to be uninhabitable. They were then told if they did not clean up their home, their house would be condemned. They then met with a clinical psychologist who specializes in OCD, who declared the house to be one of the most extreme cases she's ever seen, with items being filled up to the ceiling in every room.

In an attempt to save their home, the Stanks accepted help from a team of hoarding experts. During the cleaning process, Gerri had a very difficult time emotionally when it came to throwing items away, delaying the timing significantly. Ultimately, the Stanks didn't end up passing the inspection, causing Code Enforcement to lock the house until they could arrange a new clean-up plan.

Unfortunately, the house ended up being demolished by bulldozer in 2019, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentential. The Stanks took to court to prevent this from happening, but their case was dismissed. "I'm so hurt that I don't know what to say," Ilona said in a tragic statement.

Viewers got their first glimpse of Augustine in the first episode of the second season. There, it was revealed that hoarding conditions at her home were so severe that her son was removed by authorities when he was a child. The psychologist who was brought to the home explained that Augustine blamed other people for her habits, making change much more difficult. When the professional clean-up team arrived, they found a dead cat in Augustine's clutter that had gone unnoticed for an unknown period of time.

Two years later, in a follow-up episode, it appeared as if Augustine had made little progress since the cleanup. The psychologist said that she gave Augustine "small assignments" to complete, and she didn't do them. Fecal matter was found on the bathroom floor that had been there for several months when the house was visited again.

Augustine and her daughter Susan then got into an emotional argument, in which Susan accused her mother of being consistently ungrateful for what others have done for her. "The only thing clear to me is that my mother will never change," Susan told the cameras while in tears.

In Season 2, the condition of Bob's house was so severe that his four children were unable to sleep in their own rooms, and were forced to stay outside in tents. With the help of a professional organizer and exterminators, the family was able to successfully declutter the home for a complete transformation.

When the show revisited Bob two years later in Season 4, it turned out to be one of the more successful, long-lasting cases in "Hoarders" history. It was revealed that there was no recurrence of bed bugs in the house, and the organizer stated that the condition of the home was significantly better than she thought it would be. "I cannot get over the difference in here," she said in a relieved tone.

It was obvious Bob had been putting more effort into maintaining the house, such as drywalling and painting. He and his wife also seemed to be in much cheerier spirits. Better yet, the children were able to play freely in their own bedrooms. The family continued to work with a professional organizer after their episode aired.

Dennis and Nadine from Cleveland, Ohio were stuck in a loop of blaming each other for their unhealthy hoarding habits. In the Season 2 episode, Adult Protective Services expressed concern that the environment the couple was living in was unsafe. When the clean-up crew arrived, they found a plethora of guns owned by Dennis, which they had to remove from the premises. This bothered Dennis greatly, who had been bedridden due to health issues. However, Nadine was happy with the outcome of the clean-up.

Two years later, the house became significantly cluttered again, with the floors riddled with boxes and clothing. The psychologist said Nadine was in "denial" and criticized her organizational skills. The kitchen was in such a poor state that old hamburger meat was even found on the floor. Dennis admitted that it had been over 10 years since he stepped in the kitchen himself. "While they're both acknowledging what the problem is, they're not working together to solve the problem," the frustrated psychologist said.

However, Dennis and Nadine agreed to meet with a professional organizer, who said he believed that their conditions have much improved, and that he had high hopes for their future. "As long as we continue to work one thing at a time, just do one hour at a time, I think they'll get to where they need to be," the organizer stated.

Season 2's Deborah admitted that her hoarding began when she had children. Because of the condition of her home, her two sons were unable to sleep in their own bedrooms for several years. The clutter was so overwhelming to her husband Ron's mental health that he ended up attempting suicide. When the clean-up team arrived, they made some significant progress, but were ultimately unable to finish the decluttering process completely.

Two years after the initial episode aired, Ron ended up losing his job, and the family was forced to move out of the house. However, their sons claimed that they were proud of what their mom had accomplished, and said they noticed a big difference in their house when it came to cleanliness. The follow-up episode revealed that despite the setback, the family attempted to keep their heads up and move forward.

Judi from Season 2's case was so severe that she went without running water for years and resorted to using adult diapers to relieve herself. However, when the clean-up team arrived, they managed to clear out the entire house in only two days. Judi eventually found someone to buy the house, and she was relocated to an assisted living facility.

Revisiting Judi at her new apartment, her place was much cleaner, including completely visible floors. "It's a little different than last time I saw you," the hoarding expert excitedly expressed. He attributed her transformation to the fact that she lived in a smaller space that didn't allow her to accumulate too many items, and that she was also surrounded by people who wouldn't let her hoard. He also noted that had Judi still been living by herself, she would not have made nearly as much progress.

Overall, it seemed that Judi's mental health and conditions have much improved since moving locations. "Here, I can have pretty things, things that remind me of my family, and still have room to get around," she happily commented. "It's a successful scenario," the expert added, contributing her recovery to the fact that she was able to replace her habits with hobbies and family. Her daughter also commented that although her relationship with her mother was still not perfect, it had improved in many ways.

Season 3, Episode 22 of "Hoarders" followed the story of Glen Brittner and his collection of rats that were destroying his home. Glenn explained that he began hoarding the critters after his wife passed away suddenly, and he used the animals to replace her presence as a form of companionship. "I surround myself with so much life that [if] one dies here or there, not a big problem. Got plenty replacements" Glenn vulnerably shared through tears.

The Humane Society also interfered, because having thousands of rats run loose in a small space was extremely detrimental to their health, many having injuries and illnesses. The rats were then safely removed from the home, something that helped Glen cope with death.

Sadly, Glen's story later ended in tragedy. According to KTLA, he was a generous man who often invited strangers over to his residence for food. At the age of 59, he was brutally beaten by two men who entered his home and stole belongings from him. He was found with his hands and feet in zip ties and his head severely bleeding. He died 10 days later after being in a coma.

As of this writing, the murder remains unsolved, much to the devastation of his children and grandchildren. "How could someone be so cowardly and vile as to attack and beat a nearly 60-year-old crippled man to death?" his brother Gary said in a desperate statement to The Antelope Valley Times.

Season 9, Episode 6 followed the journey of one of the show's most massive projects yet. Sandra Cowart lived in a mansion with 31 rooms in North Carolina called the Jullian Price House, which was filled to the brim with random items and trash. She eventually lost the house to foreclosure, and the new owners attempted to help her clear out her clutter.

Eventually, the mansion was transformed into an ultra-clean and luxurious bed and breakfast, its old state completely unrecognizable. As of 2021, the residence still gets a large portion of its attention from the 2017 "Hoarders" episode. "It is really interesting to have had this place exposed around the world. People come from all over and stay with us, which is why we opened it to the public — so many were interested in the story from the TV show," owner Michael Fuko-Rizzo told the New York Post.

One of "Hoarders" first episodes also included one of the show's most difficult cases with a seriously strong personality behind it. After a small fire erupted in Betty's home in Ohio, Adult Protective Services removed her husband after they found him living in filth. This forced them to live in hotels for months, and they risked losing their home if conditions did not improve.

After the episode aired, Betty reportedly still refused to take responsibility for her actions. Apparently, she declared herself "proud to be called the town's junk collector."

In a follow-up episode with one of the show's organizers Dorothy Breninger, she revealed that she and Betty's children were shocked by Betty's extreme attachment to her hoarded items. According to the episode, Betty chose her stuff over her family, something that devastated her grown children. "She did revert back to her old behavior," Dorothy explained with a sigh.

For one of the show's most memorable and unusual cases, quirky couple Fredd and Fuzzie made eccentric art out of their hoarded items. Although the two seemed to be unfazed by their lifestyle and the chaotic nature of their residence, their family expressed concern about how it was affecting their parents financially (via YouTube). Fuzzie's father threatened that if they did not immediately clean up their warehouse, he would cut them off financially, forcing the couple to live in their van.

Due to their carefree attitude, the two refused to take responsibility for their poor financial decisions, resulting in a tense argument during their episode. However, in a "Memory Lane" clip from the show, extreme hoarder expert Matt Paxton reminisced on Fredd and Fuzzie fondly, even describing them as "two of my favorite hoarders to this day." He even revealed that he talks to the unconventional pair on a weekly basis and that the three are legitimate friends. He also gave them credit for being incredibly talented artists and not caring about what people thought about them.