Ohio man kept dead wife's body well-preserved on property for years, reports say

An Ohio man lived with his dead wife on his property for at least six years, according to local reports.

On Jan. 2, the Columbiana County Sheriff was called to investigate the death of a man in Salem Township, Ohio, WOIO reported. Salem Township is located in Columbiana County in Northeast Ohio, about 30 miles south of Youngstown.

When first responders arrived, they found a deceased man, who the sheriff said died of natural causes. WFMJ reported that the man was identified as 70-year-old Robert Rea.

A family member told the sheriff's office that a female relative had died and was on the same property. The Columbiana County Sheriff's Office said the woman had been dead for six to seven years, WKNB reported, although it appeared she also died of natural causes.

The woman was believed to be Rea's wife, Peggy Rea, who died in 2017, although her death was never reported. Sheriff Brian McLaughlin told the news station her body was wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by herbs and well-preserved for how long she had been dead.

"I've been doing this for almost 34 years and never seen anything like it," McLaughlin told WFMJ. "I have never seen a body that has been gone that long and still that intact. We've had bodies that have been gone for much, much less time and had next to nothing left."