In Wertheim-Lindelbach, a German village with only 500 inhabitants, a woman remained dead in her apartment for three and a half years, while her husband continued to live there, according to the website of the regional public broadcaster Südwestrundfunk.
The police still do not know why the man did not report his wife’s death, as it was the woman’s relatives who notified the police last week. The officers found her in the apartment where the couple had lived for 25 years in the village, and investigators hope that the autopsy will provide clues about how the woman may have died.
The prosecutor’s office confirmed to SWR that there is currently no evidence of any crime, such as an act of violence.
How was it possible for a woman to go missing from a village with nearly 500 residents for three and a half years, wonders the source cited.
The mayor, Egon Schäfer, appeared shocked and said he couldn’t believe it. The couple moved to the village 25 years ago, they were always nice, but lived more withdrawn. And of course, it was rumored in the village that the woman had not been seen for a long time. The residents asked the man from time to time, but were satisfied with his answer and didn’t think anything was wrong, the mayor said.
Neither the prosecutor’s office nor the police could provide any information regarding why it was possible for the corpse to remain undiscovered for three and a half years.
The woman would have turned 79 years old on September 26. Prosecutor Florian Sommer confirmed that her husband continued to live in the apartment, but the official did not provide any details about his statements when asked why he did it without reporting the death.
