A Pennsylvania man is facing charges after police said he failed to report that his wife had been dead in their home for more than a month.
Michael Mikula, 68, was charged with abuse of a corpse, neglect of a dependent person, recklessly endangering another person, and tampering with evidence. Authorities said they discovered the body of his wife, 66-year-old Sharlene Mikula, inside their home in South Londonderry Township. According to a statement from the Lebanon County District Attorney obtained by WGAL, Michael Mikula “was aware of [his wife’s] passing and had taken measures to conceal her passing.”
The district attorney’s office said Mikula lived with his wife’s body “for at least one month” before police discovered it during a welfare check on April 14 requested by her family. When officers arrived, Mikula allegedly told them his wife was not home. Officers were later allowed inside, where they found Sharlene Mikula deceased and “in a state of advanced decomposition.”
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WGAL, Mikula told detectives that his wife had “been gone for a long time.” He said she had little appetite in the weeks leading up to her death but that he tried to get her to eat one meal a day. Mikula told investigators he eventually found her dead and claimed her body did not begin decomposing until about a week before police arrived.
Family members told police that Sharlene Mikula had experienced several mental health disorders and had spent 51 days in a behavioral health center in May 2025. Hospital records indicated she lost more than 100 pounds over the course of a year.
WGAL reported that the couple’s home was sold by the sheriff’s office the same day her body was discovered. A neighbor told the outlet that the new owner noticed a foul odor inside the house.
Michael Mikula was arrested and booked into the Lebanon County Correctional Facility. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 23.
Leave a Reply