Cal Gaunt
A woman who reported her husband missing eight months ago has found him in their house.
Jennifer Maedge reported her husband, Richard, 53, from Illinois, USA, missing on April 27 last year.
He had phoned her to say that he was leaving work early, but when she returned home to find his car on the drive, father-of-three Maedge was nowhere to be seen.
And it would be eight months until she eventually found him a closet in their own home.
Learn more about the woman finding her missing husband in their house eight months later below…
Jennifer was searching for Christmas decorations in a storage area when she was stunned to find her husband’s body in a closet.
Police had already searched the ‘sewer-like’ house, which was described as a ‘hoarder home’, but did not find him.
Jennifer tells the Bellville News-Democrat: “I decided to put the Christmas tree up, and I was looking for a tote of Christmas ornaments. That’s when I discovered him.”
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She admits she rarely visits the closet, as it was stuffed with piles of rubbish.
According to FOX affiliate KTVI, a coroner’s report reveals that Maedge died by suicide, with his body ‘mummified’ by the time he was found.
The coroner also says that once the body had passed the decomposition stage it won’t have given off any pungent smell, which would have helped locate him sooner.
Officers searched the property twice following reports of a ‘strange odour’ in the house.
They put the smell down to the mounds of rubbish inside the home. A plumber was even brought in to fix sewage pipes and help get rid of the smell.
Jennifer says the smell eventually subsided, which is one of the reasons Maedge remained missing so long.
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Maedge’s sister, Marilyn Toliver, berated the police for not finding her brother during their first two searches.
She was however pleased that she and her family now had some closure.
Marilyn says: “Even though we didn’t want the outcome that we had, it’s still an outcome that we can put him to rest.”
The police department disagreed with Marilyn’s claims and say they searched the home and surrounding areas thoroughly.
The coroner concluded: “There were no other injuries found during the autopsy examination or evidence found that would indicate anything nefarious regarding Mr Maedge’s death.”
No foul play is suspected in his passing, the autopsy found.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the US at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
In the UK, the Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, emailing [email protected] or heading to the website to find your nearest branch.
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