When Jennifer Maedge went searching for Christmas decorations in December, she expected to find tinsel, not tragedy. What she uncovered inside a hidden storage area was the mummified body of her husband, who had been missing for eight months.

Richard Maedge, 53, a grandfather of three and father to three adult children, vanished on April 26, 2022. That afternoon, he had phoned Jennifer, his wife of nearly two decades, saying he was leaving work early.

But, when the 49-year-old woman returned to their Troy, Illinois home, Richard’s car was parked in the driveway, but he was nowhere to be found.

After attempting to contact him and reaching out to his adult son for leads, Jennifer filed a missing person’s report with the Troy Police on April 27.

“I thought, well, maybe he might’ve taken a walk, because he was maybe stressed out,” she told People. “I mean, it’s not something that he would normally do, but then again, you never know what people would do.”

Agonizing search

The search began immediately, with police conducting an initial walkthrough of the home. However, nothing turned up.

FOX59 reports that during the search of the Maedge residence, officers – noted a “sewer-like” odor inside the home but were unable to identify its source. Chief Deputy Coroner Kelly Rogers later described the house as a “hoarder home,” which may have complicated the search.

“‘Hoarder’ is a strong word,” Jennifer told People, adding, “he was more – I would consider, more of a pack rat.”

At the time he went missing, Richard was employed as a maintenance worker for an agency that provided care for individuals with disabilities. According to his wife, her handyman husband “didn’t want to get rid of anything.”

Odor lingers

Weeks later, Jennifer called authorities again to report that the odor was still there. When Troy police conducted a second search, they recognized the same smell but, once again, found nothing.

“I have four dogs and a cat roaming around, so you get many different smells. And then also, my sinuses were bothering me at the time, too. So, you’re trying to figure things out and you’re getting confused at where it’s [coming from],” she told People.

Hoping to resolve the issue, the family contacted a plumber. According to Rogers, the plumber identified the odor as sewer gas and placed a cap on one of the sewer pipes in the basement, which appeared to eliminate the smell – at least temporarily.

Holidays have ‘a lot less magic’

Meanwhile, Richard’s sister, Marilyn Toliver, took the search to social media. Almost every day over from April 27 to the day he was found, the Georgia woman posted missing person flyers and updates on Facebook, desperately pleading for help from the public.

“DAY 218,” she starts her Nov. 30, 2022, post. “I thought you should know how the holidays will have a little less shine and a lot less magic. I thought you should know that I’m trying my best. Trying to push you in the light, and ensure that you’re not forgotten and that people keep saying your name. I thought you should know that I talk to you often in hopes that you can hear me.  We search for you in each new day. I thought you should know the magnitude of your influence helps all of us so much!

“I thought you should know you’re loved, wherever you are…I just thought you should know!”

Christmas shock

On December 11, 2022, as Jennifer began preparing for the holidays, she searched a storage area beneath a staircase – behind some clothes – looking for decorations.

“I know it may sound odd,” Jennifer told People. “I was just trying to figure out the best way to celebrate the holidays without knowing the whereabouts of my husband. I had been contemplating that for weeks before I decided to put up some Christmas decorations, to put me more in the Christmas spirit and to honor my husband, in a way.”

There, she waved a flashlight and made a grisly discovery.

“That’s when I discovered him…He had committed suicide,” she said in an interview with the Belleville News-Democrat.

Mummified remains

According to Rogers, Richard’s remains had progressed past typical decomposition and were found in a mummified state – a condition that occurs when bodily fluids evaporate or are absorbed, leaving the skin dry and preserved. Rogers noted that mummified bodies often produce little to no odor, which could explain why the smell inside the home was so difficult to trace.

“He had mental health issues in the past and he would get help for it,” Jennifer shared with People. “And he told me that he knew the breaking point, and he would get help. So, this would be the most farfetched of anything, that he would actually go through with this.”

“He never verbalized anything [like] he would take his life to me,” she added.

‘Hardest 218 days’

On Dec.17, 2022, Toliver shared her last Facebook message of her brother.

“My little Brother Richard, I always thought I would see you again,” she wrote alongside a black and white photo that showed Richard as a child.

“[I’ve] heard from hundreds with love and broken hearts over Richard! Troy thank you for keeping his family close you. Your constant concern and your prayers can never be forgotten. It was the saddest, hardest 229 days of our life. We want to hug all of you!” she wrote moments later.

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