Man's body found in freezer of dead Utah woman was that of her husband, authorities say

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A Utah man whose body is believed to have been stored in a freezer for as much as 11 years was the husband of a woman who'd recently died in their apartment, authorities said Tuesday.

The body of Paul Edwards Mathers, 69, was discovered on Nov. 22 after officers in the Salt Lake City suburb of Tooele found his wife, Jeanne Souron-Mathers, 75, dead on a bed in their unit at the Remington Park Apartments.

Investigators believe Souron-Mathers was aware of the body in her freezer, said Tooele Police Sgt. Jeremy Hansen.

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The body of Paul Edwards Mathers, 69, was found last week in the Utah apartment where his wife, Jeanne Souron-Mathers, 75, recently died. Authorities suspected foul play in his death.  (Google Maps)

“That’s why we strongly suspect foul play,” he said, according to KSL-TV.

It was not clear if authorities suspect Souron-Mathers was involved in her husband's death.

Officers were sent to the home because she hadn't been seen in two weeks. Her death is not considered suspicious.

Investigators estimate Paul Mathers' body had been inside the freezer for as long as 11 years, based on when residents at the apartment complex last saw him.

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“When we started talking to different people in different apartments that surround hers, they all recall seeing a guy there, but everyone’s time frame was different," Hansen said.

An autopsy was not able to narrow down a time frame or how he died. Souron-Mathers had lived in the apartment since 2007.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.