A woman who lived with the dead body of her husband for eight months reportedly didn’t notice it, and now a coroner has explained how it was possible.
It was in April 2022 when 53-year-old Richard Maedge was reported missing by his wife Jennifer Maedge after he called her to tell her that he would be going home from work early because he was not feeling well.
But when Jennifer arrived home, she found her husband’s car on the driveway but he was nowhere to be found.
Eight months later, Jennifer found the mummified body of her husband when she opened a closet under the stairs while searching for Christmas decorations.
People have wondered how it took almost a year for the wife to realize that the lifeless body of her husband had been with her the entire time, especially when the decomposing body gives off an unbearable odor.
According to reports, Jennifer and her neighbors, even the police, had noticed the smell coming out of the house but she thought it was just a blocked sewer and even hired a plumber for repairs.
Even though police visited the property, Richard was not found because the house was a ‘hoarder home’ and there were mountains of items inside, making it difficult for officers to search the property thoroughly.
Chief Deputy Coroner Kelly Rogers also told KTVI that the body had advanced beyond decomposition to a mummified state.
When the body reached mummification, the fluids have already dried up and the body may not produce a very strong odor.
Autopsy results showed no injuries and no foul play was involved in Richard’s death.
Richard’s heartbroken sister, Marilyn Toliver, had also slammed the police for not finding her brother despite reports of foul odor.
“Mistakes were made, and I want answers. If it means filing a complaint and going all the way to the governor, I will,” she said.
“I’m not going away. I’m just now beginning to say stuff out loud. I should have been screaming from the beginning, but I was suckered in by the police department saying they were doing their job and looking for him.”
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