from reuters.com
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A woman in Mexico City kept the body of her dead husband by her bedside for a year until neighbors, disturbed by the smell, called the police.
Police broke down Mercedes Velarde’s door on Tuesday and found the putrefied body of her husband Edmundo on the floor of her bedroom.
Authorities said on Wednesday they were investigating Velarde’s claim her husband died of natural causes. They believe the man, in his early 60s, had mental problems that may have been linked to his death.
Local media reported that Velarde’s son regularly helped remove worms infesting his father’s body.
Police could not confirm the reports but said her two adult children knew their mother was keeping the body.
The family is being examined by a psychiatrist. After an autopsy, the family could face criminal charges or be sent to a psychiatric hospital.
Authorities said hiding a dead person, even a family member, is a crime.
“Yes, these people have psychological problems, (but) they hid a corpse. Even if it is a family member, they committed a crime,” Veronica Sanchez at the Mexico City attorney general’s office told Reuters.
how many things do we hang on to instead of properly burying them? i know for me, past relationships and mistakes easily haunt me. living and replaying moments i regret over and over again in my head do nothing but bring me down and take my eyes of the present.
this is a really gross story, but so applicable to almost every area of our lives…don’t you think?
Comments
14 responses to “dead bodies”
Reminds me of “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner. One of my favorite short stories.
Excellent analogy. There’s physical death and spiritual death and many times people may look like they are alive, but they are dead inside. I work with deeply wounded people every day and it is amazing what they live with. As for replaying past mistakes, etc. sometimes we just can’t think our way through them ourselves. We may have too many ways of thinking that prevent us from loosening its grip. I know I benefited from taking these things to my mentor (who has since passed) and he was able to take me through my thought processes (also applying scriptural principle) in such a way that I was able to break free in many instances. It took time and it wasn’t always pleasant, but it was so worth it.
There was definitely a time in my life when I piled all my bad memories, shortcomings, and sin into a nice, pretty wrapped up little box and carried it around with me every single day. It was my identity. To let go of all I used to know and be was to let go of me! I’m glad the Lord broke that stonghold over me! There is much freedom in burying our flesh…
What jumps out to me is that the son picked out worms. As insane as the idea was, she had someone enabling her, encouraging the insanity.
Who are we enabling?
Thanks, I think I needed that encouragement this morning.
But…ouch.
I’m feeling a sermon coming on from this one Anne. It will preach! Good stuff. Thanks.
gaj
I’m glad I’m not the only one with visions of regret, guilt, and shame dancing in my head. You’re so right that it does take your eyes off the present. I know God has forgiven me, so maybe it’s I who hasn’t buried the dead and moved on.
The wife’s ability to “let go” is only one part of the story. Why is it that no one came looking for this man? Did no one know that he had died? Surely, if they had, then they would have asked for a funeral to celebrate his life and bring to closure his existence in this world.
But the story doesn’t mention that a friend discovered the body. Her neighbors reported a foul smell to the police who in turn discovered the body of this man.
What does it say about the way someone lived that no one–outside of his wife and children–even noticed he was missing?
I’m reminded that we all will die. And we don’t get to choose when. But we do get to choose how we live.
Not only do you see the “gross” in this story.
You can also seeing the son picking out worms out of his dad’s rotting body~ What Love!!!
I can only wonder how many worms “My Father” picked out of me. Simply ~ because He loved me
Ah, don’t worry about. I’m sure the modern day church is full of nothing but odor free neighbors. Maybe a new bumper stick er is in order. “Have you smelled yer neighbor today?”
absolutely. i hold on to a lot of things that should have been dead and buried a long time ago.
great post. gross, yes, but a great visual of the point you were trying to get across. and such a good point. i’ll be reflecting on this today. thanks.
oh gosh… i’m so incredibly disturbed by this…..
yeah its an article about people miles away from me that it feels so far away — almost surreal.
but its so scary to think that this was real…… this boy actually picked worms out of his dead father’s body….. i wonder how he felt about that? i wonder HOW this woman slept at night amidst the stench of rotting flesh…….. i just can’t imagine a reality like that.
it runs a chill up my spine
I understand this idea very well haunted is a good way to describe it – and her is part is the premise to my book ‘Running to stand still” though it is only a small part of that premise “religious” burnout another. Many people don’t seem to have these hauntings you have to have them to understand.