Authorities have identified one of the two severely decomposed bodies discovered Monday in the home of former Woonsocket Mayor Susan Menard.
Authorities were called to the Rhode Island residence on Monday following reports of a foul odor emanating from the property. Law enforcement told local media that they discovered two “severely decomposed” bodies inside. One was later identified as Menard, according to WHDH.
Authorities are now trying to determine her official cause of death, but foul play is not currently suspected, WDHD continued. They’re also working to identify the the deceased male at the residence, the Providence Journal reported.
Two “severely” decomposed bodies have been discovered in the home of former Democrat Rhode Island Mayor Susan Menard pic.twitter.com/sw8EBYlrid
— plɹoʍ uʍop-ǝpᴉsd∩ (@patriotmimzy) September 21, 2022
Menard was Woonsocket’s longest-serving mayor, holding office for 14 years from 1995-2009. “She certainly had her own style, but the people of the city of Woonsocket certainly liked and enjoyed her leadership, electing her to seven terms,” current Woonsocket mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt told the Providence Journal in an interview.
Another former mayor, Leo Fontaine, told the outlet that Menard was a “tenacious fighter for the city,” and that he “learned a lot from her over the years.” (RELATED: REPORT: Coroner Says He Cried, Couldn’t Eat For A Week In Most Heinous Crime He’s Ever Seen)
In 2009, Menard’s daughter died suddenly at the age of 31, leaving behind a husband and two sons aged 2 and 4-years-old. “It was extremely difficult for her,” Baldelli-Hunt told the Journal. She also has a son who lives in a different state, the Providence Journal reported.