Dead man watching

For those who feel they can’t get through a day without being hounded by someone for something, Vincenzo Ricardo is an inspiration. A year ago, the 70-year-old Suffolk County, NY, man sat down to watch a bit of television. He remained there, unmolested, for over a year. Pity his deadness didn’t allow him to fully enjoy the peace.

Responding to a call about a burst pipe, police had to enter Ricardo’s home, where they found him in his next-to-final resting place: upright in an armchair, television still on, a rating measurement bureau’s dream viewer. Ricardo, who lived alone, hadn’t been heard from in over a year.

“That part baffles me,” said Suffolk County chief medical examiner Dr. Stuart Dawson. “Nobody sounded the alarm.” Though neighbours say they had wondered where Ricardo had gone, they also “never thought to check on him.”

The low-humidity conditions of Ricardo’s apartment slowed the usual post-death decay of flesh, leaving him fairly intact. Police say he died of natural causes.

—Scott Saxon