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A coroner has explained how a widow continued to live in the same house as her dead husband for eight months - without ever noticing his body was there.
Wife Jennifer Maedge reported her husband Richard Maedge, 53, from Illinois, missing in April 2022 after he phoned her to say he was leaving work early due to feeling unwell.
When she came back home, she discovered her husband's car on the driveway as well as his wallet, keys, and cards - but there was no sign of Richard, which raised some alarm bells.
Jennifer then informed the police about the disappearance, and they arrived at their property - which was described as a "hoarder home," per The Mirror - but could not find the father-of-three.
Eight months later, Jennifer discovered Richard's dead body after she opened a cluttered closet under the stairs to get her Christmas decorations out.
"I decided to put the Christmas tree up, and I was looking for a tote of Christmas ornaments, and that's when I discovered him," she said, as cited by the outlet.
According to the publication, a coroner's report revealed that her husband had tragically died by suicide at the time he initially went missing.
Many have wondered why it took so long for Jennifer to realize that she had been living in the same place as Richard's body, given that decaying flesh usually gives off an overpowering smell.
Officers came to search her home twice after reports of a strange odor and put the smell down to the tons of rubbish inside the home. A plumber even fixed one of the sewer pipes outside to help get rid of the smell.
However, Kelly Rogers, the county’s chief deputy coroner, explained to KTVI (cited by PEOPLE) that perhaps Jennifer was able to overlook the fact Richard was still in the house because his body had advanced beyond decomposition to a mummified state.
So, by the time the husband's body was discovered, the fluids had dried up or been removed from the skin, which means that the body did not have a powerful odor.
Richard's sister Marilyn Toliver slammed authorities for not finding her brother sooner despite attending the home and reports of an unusual smell.
"I need answers from the police chief. I need answers from the mayor. How is this even possible?", she told the St Louis Post-Dispatch. "Mistakes were made, and I want answers. If it means filing a complaint and going all the way to the governor, I will. 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," she added.
However, cops in Troy, Illinois, responded to Marilyn by stating that they had undertaken comprehensive searches at the home and in the surrounding areas to locate Richard.
The coroner's statement also concluded: "There were no other injuries found during the autopsy examination or evidence found that would indicate anything nefarious regarding Mr Maedge's death."
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
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A coroner has explained how it was possible for a woman to live in the same house in Illinois as her dead husband's body for eight months without noticing he was there.
Richard Maedge, 53, had been reported missing in April 2022 by his wife Jennifer Maedge, after he called to tell her he would be coming home early from work as he was unwell.
However, when she returned home herself, she found his car on the driveway and his wallet and keys inside, but there was no sign of Richard himself.
Jennifer was set to make a grisly discovery eight months later, when she opened a cluttered closet under the stairs to get her Christmas decorations out, only to find Richard's mummified remains after he took his own life the day he disappeared.
Many have wondered how it took so long for Jennifer to realize that she had been living just inches away from Richard's dead body, given that decomposing flesh usually gives off an overpowering smell.
Jennifer - as well as her neighbors and the police - had complained of a smell emanating from the property, but she says it was never so strong that anyone would put it down to being anything but a blocked sewer, which a plumber even came out to fix.
Part of the reason Richard wasn't found despite police attending the property was because it was described as a "hoarder home" and the vast amounts of things inside made it difficult to do a full search.
Kelly Rogers, the county’s chief deputy coroner, has explained how Jennifer was able to overlook the fact Richard was still in the home, telling KTVI that it was due to the fact that the body had advanced beyond decomposition to a mummified state.
Once a body reaches mummification, the fluids have dried up or been removed from the skin, which means that the body may not have a strong odor.
Jennifer told the St Louis Post-Dispatch of her gruesome discovery at the time: "I decided to put the Christmas tree up, and I was looking for a tote of Christmas ornaments, and that’s when I discovered him. He had committed suicide."
An autopsy carried out on his remains showed no further injuries and no foul play was involved in his death.
Richard's sister Marilyn Toliver had also hit out at police for not finding her brother sooner despite attending the home and reports of an unusual smell.
She told the St Louis Post-Dispatch: "I need answers from the police chief. I need answers from the mayor. How is this even possible?
"Mistakes were made, and I want answers. If it means filing a complaint and going all the way to the governor, I will. 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."
Police in Troy, Illinois, responded to say they had undertaken extensive searches at the home and in the surrounding areas in an effort to locate Richard.
The coroner's statement also concluded: "There were no other injuries found during the autopsy examination or evidence found that would indicate anything nefarious regarding Mr Maedge's death."
A woman got the shock of her life when she discovered her missing husband's body eight months after he disappeared.
Jennifer Maedge, 49, from Illinois, had reported her husband Richard Maedge, 53, missing on April 27, 2022, after he vanished in the afternoon.
Police had launched an investigation to find Richard, but despite searching the couple's home, failed to locate him.
Tragically, Richard's body wasn't found until eight months later on December 11, 2022. Jennifer made the alarming discovery by accident while she was looking for her Christmas decorations, PEOPLE reports.
Richard's death was ruled as suicide by the county coroner's report which was released in March, according to the New York Post.
Jennifer told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that she discovered her husband of 19 years in the closet while looking for decorations for her Christmas tree, explaining: "I decided to put the Christmas tree up, and I was looking for a tote of Christmas ornaments, and that’s when I discovered him. He had [died by] suicide."
The man's body had decomposed to the point of mummification after eight months, having been hidden behind many clothes in a cupboard under the stairs in the home.
Jennifer, her neighbors, and even police officers had reported a foul smell emanating from the home for several months, but put it down to it being sewage and said the odor was never "overpowering".
Police later claimed that they didn't discover Richard's body when they searched the house initially as it was described as a "hoarder home", making it difficult to do a thorough search.
Richard's sister Marilyn Toliver had criticized the police after his body was discovered in his own home, saying in an interview in December via the St Louis Post-Dispatch: "I need answers from the police chief. I need answers from the mayor.
"How is this even possible?
"Mistakes were made, and I want answers. If it means filing a complaint and going all the way to the governor, I will.
"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."
Jennifer had last spoken to Richard on April 26 when he told her he was going to leave work early as he wasn't feeling well, and said she came home to see his car parked next to their property but no sign of Richard himself, and she believed he may have "needed to get away for a while".
Richard's son, Austin Maedge, had also claimed after his father's disappearance that his dad may have been depressed because of "family drama" at the time.
Marilyn claimed the issue in question were because she and he were fighting a legal battle against their other sister to gain guardianship over their father, Ed Maedge, who had dementia and died in August, adding: "We were in a serious family conflict. It was terrible."
Richard Maedge was survived by his wife and sisters, as well as two sons - Austin and Zack Maedge - stepdaughter Amber Maedge, and three grandchildren.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
A woman found her missing husband dead in a closet with their Christmas decorations, eight months after he disappeared.
Jennifer Maedge, 49, from Illinois, had reported her husband Richard Maedge, 53, missing on the afternoon of April 27, 2022, with police launching an investigation to find him.
However - despite law enforcement searching the couple's home - his body was discovered there eight months later when Jennifer found him while searching for her Christmas decorations.
Richard's death was ruled as suicide by the county coroner's report, which was released on Thursday per the New York Post.
Richard's body was discovered on December 11 when his wife of 19 years went looking for some decorations for her Christmas tree, with Jennifer telling the St Louis Post-Dispatch at the time: "I decided to put the Christmas tree up, and I was looking for a tote of Christmas ornaments, and that’s when I discovered him. He had committed suicide."
The man's body had decomposed to the point of mummification after eight months, having been hidden behind many clothes in an under-stairs cupboard.
Jennifer, her neighbors, and even police officers had reported a foul smell coming from the home for several months, but put it down to it being sewage and said it was never an "overpowering" odor.
Despite an initial search of the house, Richard's body had not been found at the time as it was difficult for police to do a thorough search as they described the property as a "hoarder home".
Richard's sister Marilyn Toliver had criticized the police in the wake of his body being found, saying in an interview in December via the St Louis Post-Dispatch: "I need answers from the police chief. I need answers from the mayor. How is this even possible?
"Mistakes were made, and I want answers. If it means filing a complaint and going all the way to the governor, I will. 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."
Following Richard's disappearance, his son Austin Maedge had claimed his father may have been depressed due to a "family drama" he was experiencing at the time, which Marilyn claimed was because she and he were fighting a legal battle against their other sister to get guardianship of their father, Ed Maedge, who had dementia and died in August.
She explained: "We were in a serious family conflict. It was terrible."
Jennifer had revealed that she last spoke to Richard on April 26, when he told her he was leaving work early as he wasn't feeling well, and arrived home to find his car parked next to the house but no sign of him, and believed he may have "needed to get away for a while".
Richard Maedge leaves behind his wife and sisters, as well a two sons, Austin and Zack Maedge, stepdaughter Amber Maedge, and three grandchildren.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
A woman found her missing husband dead in a closet with their Christmas decorations, eight months after he disappeared.
Jennifer Maedge, 49, from Illinois, had reported her husband Richard Maedge, 53, missing on the afternoon of April 27, 2022, with police launching an investigation to find him.
However - despite law enforcement searching the couple's home - his body was discovered there eight months later when Jennifer found him while searching for her Christmas decorations.
Richard's death was ruled as suicide by the county coroner's report, which was released on Thursday per the New York Post.
Richard's body was discovered on December 11 when his wife of 19 years went looking for some decorations for her Christmas tree, with Jennifer telling the St Louis Post-Dispatch at the time: "I decided to put the Christmas tree up, and I was looking for a tote of Christmas ornaments, and that’s when I discovered him. He had committed suicide."
The man's body had decomposed to the point of mummification after eight months, having been hidden behind many clothes in an under-stairs cupboard.
Jennifer, her neighbors, and even police officers had reported a foul smell coming from the home for several months, but put it down to it being sewage and said it was never an "overpowering" odor.
Despite an initial search of the house, Richard's body had not been found at the time as it was difficult for police to do a thorough search as they described the property as a "hoarder home".
Richard's sister Marilyn Toliver had criticized the police in the wake of his body being found, saying in an interview in December via the St Louis Post-Dispatch: "I need answers from the police chief. I need answers from the mayor. How is this even possible?
"Mistakes were made, and I want answers. If it means filing a complaint and going all the way to the governor, I will. 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."
Following Richard's disappearance, his son Austin Maedge had claimed his father may have been depressed due to a "family drama" he was experiencing at the time, which Marilyn claimed was because she and he were fighting a legal battle against their other sister to get guardianship of their father, Ed Maedge, who had dementia and died in August.
She explained: "We were in a serious family conflict. It was terrible."
Jennifer had revealed that she last spoke to Richard on April 26, when he told her he was leaving work early as he wasn't feeling well, and arrived home to find his car parked next to the house but no sign of him, and believed he may have "needed to get away for a while".
Richard Maedge leaves behind his wife and sisters, as well a two sons, Austin and Zack Maedge, stepdaughter Amber Maedge, and three grandchildren.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
The woman who found her husband's mummified remains in their home eight months after he disappeared has spoken out about the horrifying discovery.
Richard Maedge, 53, had disappeared last April after texting his wife that he was heading home from work as he was not feeling well.
Jennifer Maedge, 49, had returned home later to find his car on the driveway and his wallet and keys inside the home, but no sign of Richard himself.
Despite police attending the home when Richard was declared a missing person, and a foul smell being noticed at the property - which was attributed to a sewer issue - it wasn't until eight months later when Jennifer discovered Richard's body had been in a closet in the property all along.
Jennifer had found Richard's mummified remains behind clothes in a packed, rarely-used closet when she had decided to look for some Christmas decorations.
It was later confirmed that Richard had taken his own life, with Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn confirming there was no evidence of foul play.
Police had revealed that it was hard to do a thorough search of the house as it was a "hoarder home" so had failed to find Richard, and Jennifer claimed the smell had never become "overpowering" while his body decomposed within the home.
She has now spoken out about the tragic discovery, revealing that she had been "trying to figure out the best way to celebrate the holidays" while Richard was missing, so decided to decorate their Christmas tree to lighten the mood.
However, when Jennifer began hunting for her ornaments in a "closet-within-a-closet" beneath the stairs in their home in Troy, Illinois, with a flashlight, she stumbled upon Richard's body, which had become mummified over the months.
She told People: "It was pretty shocking," adding: "Opening the door and seeing him there was just total shock."
Richard, who had three adult children from a prior marriage and three grandchildren, had taken his own life after battling with his mental health, which he had sought help for in the past.
Jennifer explained: "He told me that he knew the breaking point, and he would get help. So, this would be the most farfetched of anything, that he would actually go through with this. He never verbalized anything [like] he would take his life to me."
Chief Deputy Coroner Kelly Rogers told KTVI that officers had detected a "sewer-like" odor when they visited the property but could not locate where it was coming from as the house was a "hoarder home".
Jennifer responded: "'Hoarder' is a strong word, but he was more - I would consider, more of a pack rat. He didn't want to get rid of anything."
The space where Richard was found had originally been accessed via a door in the hallway but after the couple remodeled their home, it was only accessible through a door hidden in a larger outer closet.
"The smell did not take up the whole entire house, it was very, very confusing," Jennifer revealed, adding that the home usually has "many different smells" as she has four dogs and a cat.
Police had failed to find Richard despite searching the home at least three times, including with cadaver dogs, and interviewing multiple members of the family, Troy Police Chief Brent Shownes said in a statement after the autopsy via the Belleville News-Democrat.
Richard's sister, Marilyn Toliver, had shared her anger at it taking so long for her brother to be found, telling the St Louis Post-Dispatch: "Mistakes were made, and I want answers. 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."
Jennifer also revealed that while Richard had been prescribed medication for depression in the past, he was not taking anything at the time of his death.
She added: "It never occurred to me that he would've taken his own life. I thought, well, maybe he might've taken a walk, because he was maybe stressed out.
"I mean, it's not something that he would normally do, but then again, you never know what people would do."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
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