The Madison County Coroner’s Office in Illinois recently confirmed the death of Richard Maedge, a 53-year-old man from Troy, Illinois, in the St. Louis metro area. Maedge had been reported missing in April 2022 by his wife, Jennifer Maedge.
Jennifer discovered his body months later, on December 11th, 2022. Coroner Steve Nonn has determined that Maedge’s death was a suicide, and no foul play was involved.
The body was found in a concealed closet area in a mummified state. Such a state of mummification is likely why no strong odor was present, and the body was unnoticeable for an extended period.
However, authorities have mentioned that although there was not a strong odor, there was still an odor. A strange smell had been present in the Maedge residence, and Jennifer Maedge had even called the police twice to investigate a “sewer-like” odor.
A third search was conducted with cadaver dogs, yet all searches were unsuccessful. Eventually, a plumber was contacted, and the smell was determined to be caused by a sewage pipe in the basement. After capping the pipe, the smell disappeared.
The residence of the Maedge family was reported to be filled with hoarded items. The body was discovered tucked away in an obscure cupboard space. The widow admitted that she only found her husband’s body while collecting decorations for the upcoming Christmas holiday.