Illinois woman Jennifer Maedge found her husband’s body inside their home nearly eight months after he disappeared.
Richard Maedge was reported missing by his wife on the afternoon of April 27, prompting a police search and investigation into his whereabouts.
However, Richard was found dead inside the couple’s home in December, after Jennifer went to retrieve some Christmas decorations and discovered her husband’s body in the closet where they were stored.
The cause of death was ruled as suicide by the county coroner in a report released on Thursday. The decomposition of Richard’s body had reached a stage of mummification by the time that he was finally found.
For months, Jennifer, her neighbors, and even the police had reported a foul odor coming from the home. However, they suspected that the smell was due to sewage. Jennifer explained that the odor was never overwhelming, despite it being present for months.
Her house was described by the authorities as a “hoarder home.” This created hurdles for investigators that were trying to locate Maedge prior to the gruesome discovery of his decomposing body.