Jennifer Maedge of Troy, Illinois, made a call that no one wants to make last year. She reported her husband missing on April 27.
Richard Maedge, 53, seemed to vanish into thin air. His keys, wallet, and car were all at home, but he had been missing for months, according to KTVI-TV.
He’d called his wife the day before he went missing to tell her he was leaving work early. That appeared to be the last time she heard his voice.
Several disturbing observations were made in the home over the next few months.
Police noticed a “sewer-like” odor inside the house and described the residence as a “hoarder home,” according to KTVI.
Later, Jennifer called the police again to report an unusual odor, but when officers arrived, the odor appeared to be the same as before. At some point, a visiting family member complained not only about the foul odor but also about the unusually high number of flies in the house.
A plumber was eventually called, who identified the odor as sewer gas coming up from a basement pipe. When he capped the pipe, the odor seemed to vanish.
Then, on December 11, while looking for Christmas decorations in a storage area beneath a stairwell, Jennifer made a terrifying discovery.
Jennifer discovered the mummified body of her husband.
While the discovery was upsetting, the family is now at peace. Jennifer told KTVI that she felt Richard’s presence even though he was gone.
“He will be deeply missed,” she said. “Even though we didn’t want the outcome that we had, it’s still an outcome that we can, you know, put him to rest.”
The cause of death was not immediately disclosed, nor was there any mention of suspected foul play.
According to KTVI, Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn released a report on Thursday stating that Richard committed suicide.
Some members of Richard’s family believe the police department did a poor job and should be held accountable for failing to locate his body.
Van Toliver, Richard’s brother-in-law, expressed his concerns to the city council in December.
“I just find it unfathomable to see how a police department failed this badly,” Toliver said, according to the Times-Tribune.
“I talked to Jenn, his spouse, and she said that detectives never searched the house; it was patrol cops. … Me and my wife have called on numerous occasions complaining about the odor coming from the house and the flies.”
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, Troy Police Chief Brent Shownes responded to the criticism by providing a list of actions taken to try to find Richard, including searches of the home using a tracking K-9 and several cadaver dogs, reviewing surveillance footage from neighbors, and following up on over 30 tips.
Jennifer has stated that she is satisfied with the measures taken by the police and wishes to move on and mourn her husband’s death.