A 59-year-old Kentucky man faces a charge of abuse of a corpse after authorities discovered his deceased wife on a couch inside their home, where she had reportedly been kept for several months.
Deputies with the Hardin County Sheriff’s Department arrested John Emrich on June 18 following a welfare check at his residence. According to court records, Emrich’s niece contacted authorities to request the check because she had not seen or spoken to her aunt since January.
When deputies initially received no answer at the door, the niece returned to the home the following day alongside police. Emrich then showed his niece that her aunt was deceased on the couch.
Investigators determined the woman died in February, but Emrich failed to report her death to authorities.
Hardin County Sheriff John Ward said Emrich “didn’t want to be without her. And he had been putting some type of laundry detergent on her to control the odor.”
According to a court document, Emrich is accused of having “intentionally treated a corpse in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities.”
Emrich was arraigned on June 22. Following a preliminary hearing on July 6, he remains held on a $5,000 bond.
While the sheriff’s office believes Emrich’s wife died of natural causes, authorities noted that more charges may be filed. The investigation remains ongoing.
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