Jennifer Maedge, Troy, Illinois woman finds missing husband’s body eight months after Richard Maedge secretly killing himself in the couple’s home.
An Illinois woman has told of finding her husband’s body inside their home nearly eight months after the man secretly killing himself. Prior to the discovery, the spouse had come to believe the man mysteriously disappearing — except she was unable to figure out, where? Until now.
Jennifer Maedge reported Richard Maedge, missing on the afternoon of April 27.
Troy Police responded, searched the house and launched an investigation into the ‘missing man’s’ whereabouts.
Richard Maedge — a 53 year old maintenance worker, it turned out — hadn’t gone anywhere, Fox 59 reported on Monday.
On Dec. 11, Jennifer went to retrieve some Christmas decorations and was shocked to find her husband’s body in the closet where they were stored.
‘Hoader home’
The husband’s death was ruled a suicide, according to report from the county coroner released Thursday.
‘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,’ Jennifer told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch in December. ‘He had committed suicide.’
Richards’ body had decomposed to the point of mummification, which preempted the normal process of decomposition and the accompanying pungent foul smell.
Jennifer, her neighbors and even cops themselves reported an odor coming from the home for months, only to believe it was sewage.
Police described the house as a ‘hoarder home’ which made it difficult to do a complete search for the missing man and, with Jennifer admitting the odor was never overwhelming.
Jennifer described her deceased husband as kind and creative and being a huge fan of the St Louis Cardinals, the St Louis Blues, Nascar and his family.
It remained unclear what led to the husband taking his own life.
