'Very odd case': Sinister note found with man's body in freezer

The body of a man had been in his wife's freezer for 10 years before police discovered it while searching the apartment after the woman died. Photo / Getty Images

The body of a man had been in his wife's freezer for 10 years before police discovered it while searching the apartment after the woman died.

The body of Paul Edward Mathers was found on November 22 in a Utah retirement community after his wife died of natural causes at the age 75.

Police found the 69-year-old's body as they searched the apartment.

Investigators also found a notarised letter with his body, which is dated back December 8 and believed to be signed by Paul, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The handwritten note, which has yet to be verified by an expert, claims that his wife was not responsible for his death.

Detectives have spoken with the woman who notarised the letter, but told police she did not read it before she stamped and signed it.

Police added: "There's more in the letter, but we're not releasing that yet."

A man's body was discovered in a freezer 10 years after he vanished. Police believe the couple conspired to keep his death a secret. Photo / ABC30

Paul's wife used a wheelchair before she died, but did not need one in early 2009, when her husband died, police said.

They added that Paul was not a large man.

Authorities are investigating how he died, and whether his wife had any help putting the body into the deep freezer located in a utility room.

They are also trying to find out why she kept the body for a decade and whether she wanted to keep collecting his Social Security and Veteran's Affairs checks, police said.

Police said the Department of Veterans Affairs has verified that benefits continued to be paid until his wife's death was discovered.

"We don't have the final report from them yet, but the preliminary report indicates that if our time frame is accurate, she would have received more than US$157,000 in VA benefits" after he died, police said.

- additional reporting AP