An Ohio farmer who died in late December lived in his trailer with his dead wife for six years, Cleveland 19, WFMJ 21 and WKBN 27 reported.
In early January, Robert Rea’s son, John, 29, told the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office that his father, 70, died at his home on his farm, Nettle Creek Farm & Nursery in Salem, Ohio.
After John reported Robert’s death, he told authorities there would be another body on the property, WFMJ reports on the 21st.
At first, deputies were unable to find the second body on the 40-acre farm. However, Sheriff Brian McLaughlin and another officer spotted the camper behind the barn and found the dead body of Robert’s wife inside the vehicle.
John told investigators that his father died on Dec. 31 and that he had been living in the trailer with the body of his dead wife, Peggy Rea. Their son said she died in 2017 at the age of 64.
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The sheriff’s office reported that Robert had been caring for Peggy’s remains on his own for the past six years, WFMJ 21 reports. The sheriff said her body was surrounded by plants, wrapped in a blanket and well preserved for as long as she had been dead.
“I’ve been doing this for almost 34 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Sheriff McLaughlin told WFMJ 21. “I’ve never seen a body that’s been gone that long and still intact. We’ve had bodies that have been gone for much, much less time and there’s almost nothing left.”
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Both Robert and Peggy appear to have died of natural causes, reports WBNS 27. The Sheriff’s Office sent Peggy’s body to the Columbiana County Coroner’s Department, which was then transferred to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office. The office evaluated her body to determine the cause of death and approximate date of death, confirming she had been dead for six years, WFMJ 21 reports.
John informed authorities that Robert and Peggy were devout Quakers and wanted to be buried at the same time, according to Cleveland.com.
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Representatives from the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office and the Cuyahoga County pathologist did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Friday.
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