Police reportedly discovered the decomposing bodies of an elderly man and woman in the home of former Woonsocket, Rhode Island, mayor Susan Menard.
The deceased were “severely decomposed” when they were discovered in the Woonsocket home Monday, according to WJAR. Authorities entered the premises in full hazmat suits, with neighbors telling WJAR there was a strong stench emanating from the home as soon as law enforcement opened the front door.
Happening now: Police in #Woonsocket have a home on Marian Lane blocked off with yellow tape — where two bodies were found “severely decomposed” inside, according to the police chief. An investigation is now underway.
Here’s what we know so far: https://t.co/fViC8274B2 @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/q2X2zQW3zn
— Kayla Fish (@KaylaFishTV) September 19, 2022
“I haven’t seen them in a while because my sister usually walks this all the time, and on occasion I’d walk with her all around the neighborhood, and I haven’t seen them in a while,” Lorraine Tessier, a longtime resident of Woonsocket, told WJAR. “Didn’t anybody check on them? You know? Grandchildren? Son? What happened?”
The property is reportedly the home of longtime former Woonsocket mayor, Susan Menard, WJAR noted. Menard was the city’s leader from 1995 to 2009, the longest tenure in Woonsocket’s history, according to the city’s official website. (RELATED: REPORT: Coroner Says He Cried, Couldn’t Eat For A Week In Most Heinous Crime He’s Ever Seen)
It’s unclear whether Menard is one of the two bodies discovered at the property, WJAR continued. There are reportedly no indications of criminal behavior at this point in the investigation. The deaths are being investigated by medical examiners given how “badly decomposed” they were when authorities arrived, the New York Post noted.