The man, who had been missing for eight months, was tragically discovered deceased by his wife as she searched for Christmas decorations in their closet.

Speaking to the media, the man's sister expressed her desire for answers from the police, as they had assured the family that they were actively searching for him.

Richard Maedge, 53, was reported missing by his wife Jennifer Maedge, 49, from Illinois, in April 2022.

Despite an investigation launched by the police, his whereabouts remained unknown for eight months. It wasn't until Jennifer was searching for Christmas decorations in their home closet that she stumbled upon Richard's lifeless body.

Jennifer's sister expressed frustration with the police, stating that they had assured the family they were diligently searching for Richard, and demanded answers.

According to the New York Post, the county coroner's report, released on Thursday, concluded that Richard's death was a suicide.

Jennifer found her husband's body on December 11 while searching for Christmas decorations. The couple had been married for 19 years.

Speaking to the St Louis Post-Dispatch, Jennifer said:

"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. He had committed suicide."

After eight months, Richard's body was found mummified in an under-stairs cupboard in his "hoarder home".

The strong odor emanating from the house, which had been reported by neighbors and police officers, was thought to be sewage and dismissed.

Despite a search of the house earlier, Richard's body was not discovered due to the difficulty of performing a thorough search in a cluttered environment.

In December, Richard's sister Marilyn Toliver expressed her frustration with the police and local authorities in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, saying, "I need answers from the police chief. I need answers from the mayor. How is this even possible?"

"Mistakes were made, and I want answers. If it means filing a complaint and going all the way to the governor, I will. I'm not going away. I'm just now beginning to say stuff out loud. I should have been screaming from the beginning, but I was suckered in by the police department saying they were doing their job and looking for him."

After Richard's disappearance, his son Austin Maedge revealed that his father might have been depressed due to a family conflict he was going through.

Richard's sister Marilyn Toliver revealed that they were embroiled in a legal battle with their other sister for guardianship of their father, Ed Maedge, who had dementia and passed away in August.

Marilyn elaborated: "We were in a serious family conflict. It was terrible."

According to Jennifer, the last time she spoke to Richard was on April 26. He had informed her that he was leaving work early as he wasn't feeling well.

However, when she arrived home, she found his car parked next to the house, but there was no sign of him. She assumed that he may have "needed to get away for a while."

Richard Maedge is survived by his wife, two sons - Austin and Zack Maedge, stepdaughter Amber Maedge, three grandchildren, and his sisters.