The deceased man's wife lived in the house for 11 years while his body was upstairs

The discovery was made in Erstoff, a small village in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, near the German border.

According to French news outlet Le Republicain Lorrain, Aloïs Iffly, who owned the home, was reported missing in 2009 at the age of 81.

It was reported that Iffly's wife lived in the same house for 11 years after his disappearance unaware of her husband's body upstairs, until her death in 2020, leading to the property's eventual sale.

It was only on 2 November that the body was uncovered, after the new homeowners went to investigate leaking water coming through the roof.

This led the proprietors to explore the attic, eventually stumbling across Iffly's remains tucked inside a cubbyhole.

A hanging rope was also found in attic along with the remains, leading to prosecutor Olivier Glady suggesting the scene "hints at suicide".

The body has been sent to Strasbourg for an autopsy with the police investigating the cause of death.

The results from the autopsy could help close the curtain on the mystery around Iffly's disappearance, which has remained unsolved for 15 years and has been a source of large interest in France.

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