The tragic death of an elderly couple at their home

January 28, 2018 – Magelang, Indonesia. A relative of an elderly couple was checking in on them but no one answered the door or the phone, and foul smell was coming from the house. He got help from neighbours to break down the door and almost like a scene in a horror movie he discovered the badly decomposing bodies of the old couple. The body of the man was found sitting in the living room and the body of the woman was found lying in bed.

Fig.1 The body of the man was found sitting in the living room.

It is estimated that the man died 2 weeks earlier and the woman a little later. The frail woman required help with her daily life and was unable to move freely after suffering a stroke 5 years earlier and depended on her husband as her only caretaker. Eventually by not getting any care from anyone she also died a few days later, a combination of hunger, dehydration, and not getting her medicine. The man died of natural causes and nothing suspicious was found at the scene.

Fig.2 It is estimated that the man died 2 weeks earlier and the woman a little later.

Fig.3 The woman depended on her husband as her only caretaker.

The 79-year-old man and the 73-year-old woman had been married for 40 years and had 4 children, one died at birth and the other 3 lived in other cities. Their children are said to have visited them about once per year and other relatives more frequently. Some reports say the man was 70-year-old and the woman 60-year-old but the police say 79 and 73.

Fig.4 The body of the woman was found lying in bed.

Fig.5 The frail woman required help with her daily life and was unable to move freely.

The phrase unattended death refers to a death in which the body is not found for days, weeks, or in some cases, months. Unattended deaths happen most commonly with the elderly, especially if they reside alone and do not have family or friends that check on them regularly. Unless you’ve experienced the unattended death of a loved one before, the fact people pass away without anyone finding them for a time may be something you don’t realize happens quite often. Left alone in an apartment, vehicle, or home, a person may die and their body start to decompose before something alerts a family member, friend, or neighbour to check on the person.