Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing
A woman was left horrified after discovering her husband's body in their house eight months after he went missing.
Jennifer Maedge, from Illinois, returned home in April 2022 to find her husband's car on the driveway, but he was nowhere to be seen.
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On April 27 that year, Richard Maedge was declared missing.
Troy Police Department searched the property once the report was made over two years ago, and they discovered a strange odour coming from the family home after searching the property on two separate occasions.
Meanwhile, a plumber was also said to have eventually 'fixed the smell' that was noticed by anyone who entered the home.
Police described the property as a 'hoarder home' during their investigation, but failed to find Richard anywhere.
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This led to an investigation being launched into his disappearance.
A missing person’s report claimed that 'Maedge was last seen leaving his residence wearing blue jeans and blue t-shirt'.
As expected, everyone connected to Richard was spoken to about his whereabouts, including his son Austin.
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He told officials that he last saw his dad at work when he went to get a key to a storage unit.
The case went rather quiet before a shocking December day when Richard's wife, Jennifer, went to retrieve some Christmas decorations to put up in her home.
After mooching through a closet, Jennifer found her husband's body.
At the time, Jennifer claimed she rarely visited the closet as it was always stuffed with rubbish.
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The body was said to be mummified by the time it was discovered by Jennifer, but foul play was ruled out by officials.
The coroner later ruled Richard's death as suicide.
Coroner Steve Nonn, of Madison County Coroner’s Office, said: “The area in the concealed room was only big enough for one person to occupy it.
“Upon opening the door to the concealed storage area, she would then find the decedent’s body and called 9-1-1.
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"There were no other injuries found during the autopsy examination or evidence found that would indicate anything nefarious regarding Mr. Maedge's death."
Despite the heartbreaking verdict, Jennifer thanked officials for their efforts.
"Even though we didn't want the outcome that we had, it's still an outcome that we can put him to rest," Jennifer told Fox 2.
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Meanwhile, Richard's sister, Marilyn Toliver, added: "Even though we didn't want the outcome that we had, it's still an outcome that we can put him to rest."
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
Callum Jones