Eight months after her husband was reported missing, a woman had a horrifying discovery when she found his body inside a wardrobe.

On the afternoon of April 27, 2022, Jennifer Maedge, who is from Illinois in the US, filed a missing person report for her husband Richard Maedge.

At the time, the Troy Police Department searched the property and detected a peculiar odor emanating from the family home.

According to reports, officers searched the home on at least two occasions, and a plumber was eventually called to "fix the smell".

The police characterized the property as a "hoarder home," but they were unable to locate Richard, prompting an investigation to be launched.

According to a missing persons report, Maedge was last seen leaving his home wearing a blue t-shirt and blue jeans.

Austin, the son, stated that he last saw his father at work when he went to retrieve a key for a storage unit.

The shocking revelation of Maedge's fate occurred on December 11, 2022, eight months later, when Jennifer went to retrieve Christmas decorations.

Jennifer stated that she hardly ever went into the closet because it was always overflowing with tons of clutter.

During her search, she was extremely astonished to discover her husband's body buried deep within the wardrobe. His remains had become mummified by the time they were uncovered.

According to a report by the county coroner, Richard's death has been classified as a suicide.

Despite the dreadful circumstances, Jennifer expressed her gratitude to the police 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," she told Fox 2.

The Troy Police department stated that they do not suspect any foul play in Richard's death.

Steve Nonn, the coroner of the Madison County Coroner's Office, stated: "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."

"There were no other injuries found during the autopsy examination or evidence found that would indicate anything nefarious regarding Mr. Maedge's death," the coroner added.

Marilyn Toliver, Richard's sister, commented: "Even though we didn't want the outcome that we had, it's still an outcome that we can put him to rest."