Authorities in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, found the bodies of an elderly man and woman decomposing inside a house owned by the former mayor.
Police made the discovery on Monday at the house belonging to former Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard. However, Police Chief Thomas Oates was unable to confirm if she was one of the deceased individuals, WJAR reported.
A photo showed a police cruiser outside the home along with an image of the former mayor:
Law enforcement deemed the bodies “severely decomposed” and said they were transported to a medical examiner.
Investigators were seen outside the house suiting up with protective gear and respirators before going inside the residence:
“I just think that it’s a sad thing to see that anyone would die in their own home and be unmissed for a certain amount of time,” neighbor Dennis Galipeau told WPRI.
“I mean, when I saw on the internet there were badly decomposed bodies, that’s gonna be a couple of weeks. Anyone that’s not missed that quickly, that’s a sad thing. That’s a sad thing,” he continued.
Meanwhile, other neighbors said when police opened the door they instantly smelled a strong odor coming from inside the home.
“I haven’t seen them in a while because my sister usually walks this [sic] all the time and on occasion, I’d walk with her around the neighborhood and I haven’t seen them in a while,” resident Lorraine Tessier said, adding, “Didn’t anybody check on them? Grandchildren? Son? What happened?”
According to the Woonsocket, Rhode Island, website, Menard served as mayor from 1995 until 2009.
An update was expected from law enforcement as officials performed the autopsies, WPRI reported Tuesday.
More video footage showed officials inside the home and the medical examiners’ vehicle parked outside:
Authorities also said there was currently no sign of criminal activity, but the deaths were still being investigated, the WJAR article concluded.