Two "severely decomposed" bodies were found in the home of a former Rhode Island mayor.
The homeowner, Susan Menard, had served as mayor of Woonsocket from 1995 to 2009.
Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates told local station WPRI that the bodies belonged to an elderly female and an elderly male, but did not say if one of them was Menard. Happening now: Police in #Woonsocket have a home on Marian Lane blocked off with yellow tape — where two bodies were found “severely decomposed” inside, according to the police chief. An investigation is now underway.
Here’s what we know so far: https://t.co/fViC8274B2 @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/q2X2zQW3zn
— Kayla Fish (@KaylaFishTV) September 19, 2022
Chief Oates explained that a neighbor called the police saying that they had noticed a foul stench from the home and that nobody had been around for a couple of weeks.
After gaining entry to the home through a window, police found the bodies in separate rooms on the first floor. Sad and disturbing story this morning. Two “severely decomposed” bodies were found inside Woonsocket home. Tax records show the home is owned by former Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard but police have not publicly identified bodies. Here’s what a neighbor said. @wpri12 pic.twitter.com/ed047dn1zo
— Kait Walsh (@KaitLouiseWalsh) September 20, 2022
The police chief added that the home was secured so there is currently no indication of foul play, but the medical examiner is still determining the cause of death.
The department has not yet released an estimate of how long the bodies were in the home. Police Lt. Matthew Richardson confirmed to The Valley Breeze that the deceased were in an "advanced state of decomposition."
Menard's brother Robert Miller, 81, passed away on Saturday, according to an obituary published in the Providence Journal. He was a Toxicologist for the RI Department of Health for 30 years. A report from USA Today stated that it is "unclear whether one of the bodies was his."
Menard is listed as a surviving relative in the obituary. His funeral is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Menard was the longest-serving mayor in Woonsocket's history and had a middle school named after her in 2017.
