The wife of an Illinois man who had been missing since April of the previous year discovered his body in a hidden closet eight months later.
Last week, the coroner’s office in Madison County, Illinois determined that Richard Maedge, 53, had committed suicide based on an inspection of his decomposed body.
On April 27, 2022, his wife Jennifer Maedge filed a missing person report. She told the authorities that he had called her to inform her that he was leaving the office early. There was no sign of him when she returned to their home, and she was unable to contact him.
The police were unable to locate the man after a thorough search of the residence, which was initiated by the woman. When Ms. Maedge detected an odd odor in the residence, she contacted the police once more. They rechecked the house, but still found nothing.
During the second search, a “sewer-like” odor was detected, but the property was deemed a “hoarder home” by Chief Deputy Coroner Kelly Rogers of Madison County.
The odor was identified as “sewer gas” by a plumber who was called. He repaired a sewer pipe in the basement, and the foul odor vanished.
On December 11, after approximately eight months, the wife discovered the body of her husband. She told law enforcement that she discovered him while looking in a hidden closet for Christmas decorations.
The body was discovered in a mummified state, Coroner Rogers told reporters, as decomposition had already occurred. Since the body fluids had dried up, the odor was not very strong, he explained, which could explain why it took so long to find the man.
Thursday, March 2, the coroner’s report was released confirming that Maedge committed suicide.
During the autopsy, no indications of foul play were discovered, according to the coroner.
Ms. Maedge noted that her husband’s funeral took place in January. She said that his body was concealed in a rarely used closet and that the police could have missed it during either of the two searches.