Back in April 2022, Jennifer Meadge reported her husband missing. Richard Meadge told Jennifer that he was leaving for work early.
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However, Richard never returned, or that's what Jennifer thought. In December 2022, eight months later, Jennifer found Richard's body in a mummified state inside a storage space in their home. He had committed suicide.
There were signs that Richard was still in the house back in April. For instance, she found Richard's car parked with his wallet and keys in the drive. However, he was nowhere to be found.
A day later, she reported Richard missing, and the search for Jennifer's husband of 20 years began. However, authorities didn't find him and even searched their house multiple times in vain.
According to FOX 2 St. Louis, Chief Deputy Coroner Kelly Rogers described the Meadge house as a "hoarder home" that expelled a sewer-like odor. Jennifer told PEOPLE that she didn't consider Richard a hoarder, but a "pack rat". The odor persisted throughout the months, even after a plumber unsuccessfully tried to locate its source.
"The smell did not take up the whole entire house, it was very, very confusing and everything, because there's not a basement or anything, it's more of a crawl space and a cellar," said Jennifer. "Plus, 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]."
Body Found
Months passed and the Christmas season came. Jennifer was searching for Christmas ornaments. "I know it may sound odd," Jennifer said. "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."
Jennifer found Richard's body inside a closet-within-a-closet in their Illinois home. Steve Nonn, the Madison County Coroner, stated that there were no signs of foul play, meaning that Richard Meadge died by suicide.
According to Jennifer, Richard had struggled with mental health issues throughout his life. "He had mental health issues in the past and he would get help for it," said Jennifer. "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."
Richard never verbalized any desire to take his own life. "I know he wouldn't want me to dwell in his loss or his passing or anything," said Jennifer. "I just have to try to figure out how to move on."
