MADISON COUNTY, Ill. (KTVI) — An autopsy released last week explains what happened to a Troy, Illinois, man who was found deceased in his home months after being reported missing.
Richard Maedge died by suicide, according to a report from Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn that was released Thursday.
Maedge’s wife, Jennifer, reported him missing on the afternoon of April 27, 2022. She told Troy police she last spoke with him the day before. Richard Maedge called his wife & said he was leaving work early. When his wife arrived home, Richard was gone, but his car was parked outside & his wallet & keys were left behind.
Troy police initially searched the home but found no trace of him.
Kelly Rogers, the county’s chief deputy coroner, said police described the residence as a “hoarder home.” While searching the house, police noticed a “sewer-like” odor inside the residence.
Jennifer Maedge called the police again sometime later to report an odor. Troy police searched the home a 2nd time & did not find any remains.
The family contacted a plumber, who described the odor inside the house as sewer gas, Rogers said. The plumber placed a cap on 1 of the sewer pipes in the basement, which seemed to eliminate the odor at the residence.
Jennifer found her husband’s body on Dec. 11, 2022, nearly 8 months after his disappearance. She told police she’d gone to a concealed closet area to retrieve Christmas decorations. Richard’s body was inside that storage space.
Rogers explained that Maedge’s body had advanced beyond decomposition & was in a mummified state. Rogers said that a mummified body may not have a strong odor, which would explain why it took so long for Richard to be found.
The autopsy showed no further injuries & no foul play was involved in in his death.
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