Utah Man Found Dead in a Freezer After a Decade Had Written a Letter Saying Wife Didn't Kill Him
A woman’s death in Utah last month led to the shocking discovery of the body of her husband — who died a decade ago — in a freezer kept inside her home.
Jeanne Souron-Mathers, 75, was found dead in her home on November 22 after officers had been called to conduct a welfare check when she had not been heard from for two weeks, the Tooele City Police tells PEOPLE.
Sgt. Jeremy Hansen tells PEOPLE that while there was no apparent trauma to Jeanne’s body, the official cause of her death has not yet been determined, and authorities are still trying to establish a timeline of her death.
But Jeanne’s wasn’t the only dead body in the house.
While officers were searching Jeanne’s home, they discovered the body of her husband, Paul Mathers, in a freezer — and authorities are now saying that he was in there for more than 10 years.
In another strange twist, officers found a letter signed by Paul and notarized on December 2, 2008, stating that Jeanne was not the one responsible for his death. Police say the notary said she did not read the letter before notarizing it.
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The cause of Paul’s death remains a mystery — though the Tooele police say that he suffered from a “terminal illness.”
Since the discovery of the body, authorities have determined that Paul died sometime between February 4 and March 8 of 2009.
He was last seen at a doctor’s appointment on February 4, 2009, in Salt Lake City at the George E. Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, according to the Salt Lake City Tribune. He was 58 at the time.
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The Tooele police have sent out subpoenas seeking more information about Paul’s medical history and records of his finances. While they are still waiting for more information, Hansen says that police are investigating whether payments from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs were still being sent to Paul throughout the last decade.
The amount sent to Paul from the time of his death to the time his body was found could have totaled $177,000 or more, Hansen says.
