Two ‘severely decomposed’ bodies discovered in former Rhode Island mayor's home

Two "severely decomposed" bodies were discovered in the home of former Rhode Island mayor Susan Menard, according to authorities.

Woonsocket, Rhode Island, Police Chief Thomas Oates told local news station WPRI and The Boston Globe that the bodies of an elderly woman and an elderly man were found Monday inside the residence, which belongs to Menard and was surrounded by police cars late Monday. No criminal behavior was suspected.

It was unclear whether Menard was one of the bodies. According to a recent obituary in the Providence Journal, Menard's brother Robert Miller, 81, died Saturday. It was unclear whether one of the bodies was his.

Remains IDed: Remains discovered in Rhode Island home confirmed to be former Woonsocket mayor

Oates told reporters the state medical examiner would determine the cause of death and reveal identities later in the week.

Messages from USA TODAY to the Woonsocket Police Department were not immediately returned.

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Menard was mayor of Woonsocket from 1995 to 2009, the longest of any mayor. The Susan D. Menard Middle School was named after her in 2017.

Woonsocket is a small northern Rhode Island city on the border of Massachusetts with a population of about 40,000.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2 dead bodies found in ex- Rhode Island mayor Susan Menard's home