An Illinois man reported missing last April was found dead eight months later in a hideaway closet in his home.
According to FOX affiliate KTVI, Madison County Coroner's Office confirmed last week that Richard Maedge, 53, had died by suicide.
The outlet reported that Richard disappeared on April 27 last year after calling his wife, Jennifer Maedge, to tell her he was leaving work early. But Jennifer couldn't find or contact him after she returned to their house in Troy, where his car was parked outside.
During an initial search of the home, police were unable to locate the missing man. Later, a second search was conducted at the home after Jennifer complained of a smell.
As Jennifer prepared for the holidays on Dec. 11, she went to look for Christmas decorations in a storage area behind a clothes cupboard under a staircase in the home, she recalled to the Bellville News-Democrat. That's where she found her husband's body, eight months after he was last seen.
"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," she said. "He had committed suicide."
A report from Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn released on Thursday and cited by KTVI, confirmed Richard died by suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the autopsy.
Rogers told KTVI that the body was in a mummified state, explaining that it might not have a strong odor — which could be why it took so long to find it.
Jennifer told the News-Democrat that the family held a funeral for Richard in January.
She said she understands why police missed Richard's body, telling the outlet that they wouldn't have known about the hidden closet and that the smell wasn't "overpowering."
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