Kentucky Man Lived with Decomposing Wife for Days Before Calling 911

Authorities investigate after a Kentucky man allegedly lived with his wife's decomposing body for several days before notifying emergency services.

A Kentucky man is facing felony charges after allegedly waiting up to 10 days to report his wife’s death—while living in their home with her decomposing body.

On February 3, 42-year-old Tyler Hern called 911 from his Highland Heights residence, telling dispatchers that his wife, Laura Hern, 37, had been sick for weeks and was now dead. However, when first responders arrived, they were met with a disturbing scene—Laura's body showed clear signs of decomposition, indicating she had been deceased for at least a week.

During questioning, Hern admitted that he had discovered his wife's body days earlier but chose not to notify authorities. Instead, he remained in their shared apartment with her corpse for an estimated seven to ten days.

Adding to the disturbing nature of the case, police say Hern used Laura's phone to respond to messages from concerned family members, attempting to conceal the fact that she had died. Authorities have not yet released her official cause of death, stating that the case remains under investigation.

Law enforcement has assured the public that this is an isolated incident without a threat to the community.

Hern has been charged with felony abuse of a corpse and is being held at the Campbell County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond. He appeared in court for arraignment on February 4, with a pretrial conference scheduled for March 3.

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