A coroner has shed light on why a woman was unable to locate her husband’s body for eight months.
In April 2022, Jennifer Maedge reported her husband, Richard Maedge, as missing after he called her to say he was leaving work early because he felt unwell.
Upon arriving home, Jennifer found Richard’s car parked in the driveway along with his wallet, keys, and cards inside their home.
The absence of Richard immediately alarmed Jennifer, prompting her to seek help.
Police officers conducted a search of the home, but they were unable to locate Richard at the time.
However, the condition of the house hindered the discovery of Richard’s body, which was indeed present in the residence.
The house was described by authorities as resembling a ‘sewer-like’ environment and classified as a ‘hoarder home’.
Eight months later, Jennifer stumbled upon Richard’s body while she was setting up Christmas decorations.
She recounted: “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.”
The coroner’s court investigated the case and determined that Richard had died by suicide.
During the months between his disappearance and discovery, Richard’s body had become mummified.
This mummification process reduced or altered the emission of foul odors, which might have otherwise led to an earlier discovery.
Richard’s sister, Marilyn Toliver, expressed her anger over the authorities’ failure to locate him during that time.
Speaking to the St Louis Post-Dispatch, she stated: “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.”
The police in Troy, Illinois reported that they had conducted extensive searches of the property but did not find any trace of Richard.
They also stated: “There were no other injuries found during the autopsy examination or evidence found that would indicate anything nefarious regarding Mr Maedge’s death.”