Woman Finds Husband's Mummified Body in Closet 8-Months After He Disappeared

Jennifer Maedge found her husband’s mummified remains in a closet in their home eight months after he disappeared. A coroner determined Richard Maedge had unalived himself in the closet the day he disappeared in April 2022. Jennifer found his body while looking for Christmas decorations in December 2022. She claimed she had not noticed anything unusual before then.

Story

On April 26, 2022, Richard Maedge texted his wife Jennifer saying he did not feel well and was heading home from work early. Jennifer arrived home later that evening, noticing her husband’s truck parked outside their Troy, Illinois, home, and his wallet and the truck keys on the table. Richard was nowhere around.

Jennifer reported her husband missing the next day. Troy police searched the property which they described as a “hoarder home,” but did not find any traces of the missing man. They noticed a ‘sewer-like odor,’ but could not locate its source. Police searched the home two more times, but found no signs of Richard.

A Shocking Discovery

Eight months later, Jennifer struggled with the decision to put up a Christmas tree without Richard. Decorating seemed strange with him still missing, although she ultimately decided a tree might help lift her spirits.

As Jennifer searched through a cluttered closet under the stairs for decorations, she found her husband’s mummified body. She called the police.

The storage area, where Richard's body was found, had originally been accessible by a hallway door, Jennifer told People Magazine. However, after the couple remodeled their home, the space could only be accessed via a door hidden in a larger outer closet.

An autopsy conducted by Madison County Corner James Nonn revealed Richard had died by suicide eight months earlier. The report stated there were no injuries on Richard’s body to suggest foul play.

Richard had Been Plagued by Mental illness

Richard was a 53-year-old father of three and grandfather of three. Sadly, he also struggled with mental illness, although Jennifer says he always ‘got help’ when he felt down and never discussed suicide with her. She also told People magazine that her husband did not like to throw anything away, but felt that hoarder was a strong word.

How Could Jennifer Live in a House With a Dead Body?

Many question how Jennifer could live in the same house with a dead body for so long without realizing it, considering the horrid smell emitted by decaying flesh and how police noticed the ‘sewer-like odor’ during their first search of the house.

Officers searching the home noted how the smell only lingered in a portion of the home and later dismissed the strange smell as odor from the trash strewn about the house. A plumber had repaired a broken pipe outside after the police visit, which seemed to help with the smell.

Kelly Rogers, the county’s chief deputy coroner, explained that Jennifer might not have noticed the odor if Richard’s body had advanced beyond decomposition to a mummified state, which would eliminate any type of odor.

Richard’s family was not so understanding, questioning how police could miss the body after three searches. Police responded by stating they had undertaken comprehensive searches of the home and surrounding area.

Sources:

https://people.com/human-interest/woman-recalls-total-shock-finding-missing-husband-body-closet-getting-holiday-decorations/

https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/autopsy-reveals-missing-illinois-mans-cause-of-death-coroner-explains-how-wife-didnt-notice-body/

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