Ky. man allegedly kept wife’s corpse in living room for months, disguised odor with laundry detergent
07/09/2026 6:28 pm PDT
HARDIN COUNTY, Ky. (TCN) -- A 59-year-old man has been charged with abuse of a corpse after police say he failed to report his wife’s death for several months.
According to court documents obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader, the Hardin County Sheriff’s Department arrived at the home of John Emrich on June 18 to conduct a welfare check.
Emrich’s niece had notified the authorities and requested the welfare check the previous day, stating that she had not seen or spoken to her aunt since January, People reports. No one answered the door when police arrived, so the niece returned to the home on June 18 alongside police. Emrich allegedly showed his niece that her aunt was deceased on the couch and had been there for several months.
People reports Hardin County Sheriff John Ward said Emrich “didn’t want to be without her. And he had been putting some type of laundry detergent on her to control the odor.”
WLKY reports Emrich was arrested immediately after the welfare check.
Deputies learned she died in February, but Emrich allegedly failed to report her death. According to a court document, Emrich “intentionally treated a corpse in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities.”
Emrich was arraigned June 22, WDRB reports. Per the Herald-Leader, he is being held on a $5,000 bond after his July 6 preliminary hearing.
People reports that more charges may be forthcoming, but according to the sheriff’s office, it is believed Emrich’s wife died of natural causes.
The investigation is ongoing.
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