# How long would it be before someone discovered your corpse? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 5, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957 "2011-11-05T14:36:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/21 "2011-11-05T19:43:00Z")
A day or two. Even tho I have a roommate, we rarely cross paths. So he wouldn’t notice if I was dead in my bedroom or in my office or even on my couch. One time I worked 3 days straight here in my office without going to bed and he didn’t notice, even though I was up all night playing music on my computer. My parents would be concerned after a day or two. They’d want to visit with their grandpuppy. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/22 "2011-11-05T20:19:12Z")
From three days up to a week was my vote, but probably only about three days (or possibly less.) I live alone and am self-employed, so alarm bells wouldn’t necessarily go off right away. But I have a couple of friends who have become alarmed if I’m tardy answering phone calls and texts and start worrying that “something may have happened” so I’ve given them numbers of other friends of mine so they can network if I disappear suddenly. Actually I have few friends who also live alone, but we mostly also have dogs and/or cats and the running morbid joke is if we assume room temperature, at least the pet carnivores won’t go hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/23 "2011-11-05T20:23:49Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I live alone, I am self employed and all my family lives 2000 miles away, so I don’t think I would be found until my landlord/neighbor noticed the smell or when I failed to pay the rent. So be sure you don’t pay the rent too far in advance, just in case. Besides, you probably wouldn’t get a refund if you were occupying the house, alive or dead. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/24 "2011-11-05T20:29:42Z")
Within a few hours…that is, as soon as I didn’t pick the Kiddo up from school. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/25 "2011-11-05T20:39:13Z")
It depends on commitments and how hard people try to get in. Eventually, a call to the local police would gain entry to most places. I have a friend who is trying to buy a condo in a large building. He calls it the beehive. Security is very tight. If a person put all their ongoing bills on automatic withdrawal, it could potentially be years before discovery. This person values his security and privacy/secrecy to such an extent that I would never violate his trust by calling in the police. It might not be in his best interest, but that’s his desire. Bizarre that we talked about this and the possibility of welding the steel doors shut from the inside and laying down to die in one’s own sarcophagus. Ultimately, I believe the lack of mail pick-up would send a signal that postal authorities would act on so the mail would need to be forwarded to some kind of black hole. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/26 "2011-11-05T20:50:44Z")
My toddler would know right away, and the infant would get cranky pretty quickly. Now, if you are talking about someone who can actually do something about it, the maximum time would be about 15 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/27 "2011-11-05T20:50:49Z")
If I died on a Friday, it could easily be five days, or even six. I live alone, and work from home Mondays and Tuesdays. I have friends in the building, but it isn’t unusual for me to go a week or so without seeing them. So - dead on Friday, totally possible no one would even suspect a problem until Wednesday. Figure someone would check either Wednesday or Thursday, unless the smell gave me away before then. (I live in an apartment building.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/28 "2011-11-05T20:54:12Z")
I’m retired, I live alone, and my family doesn’t live in the area so it would probably be a while. Probably when the rent didn’t get paid and the landlord showed up to ask about it. He’s also trying to sell the place so he’s had a few realtors come by. So my decomposing corpse might be found by a potential buyer. I have to figure that would be a no-sale. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/29 "2011-11-05T21:59:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > He’s also trying to sell the place so he’s had a few realtors come by. So my decomposing corpse might be found by a potential buyer. I have to figure that would be a no-sale. Naw. As a Realtor, I’ve had worse properties. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/30 "2011-11-05T22:07:04Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Naw. As a Realtor, I’ve had worse properties. 😃 In what way? I’ve owned several houses that were 50 years old or older, so I assume (though try not to think about) that people have died in houses I’ve bought or lived in. Knowing that a property was recently the final resting place of some decomposing person would definintely give me pause. I’d worry that some horrid odor might manifest when the temps change, or something. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/31 "2011-11-05T22:10:50Z")
It would probably be 5-7 days before co-workers worked up enough nerve to move beyond “Where in the hell is **monstro**?” to “Somebody needs to call the police and see if she’s alright!” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/32 "2011-11-05T22:16:05Z")
> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#): > > … this morning, when I drew a nice hot bubble bath, fixed a carafe of coffee, found a good book, and sat down. Five minutes later? “Mom, I think the dog got out!”) What’s the problem? Finish your soak, or the book, and then go look for the dog. They’re not made of chocolate; they don’t melt in the sunshine. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/33 "2011-11-05T22:28:09Z")
> [@Ibanez](#): > > I live alone. So if it happened on a Friday night. By the ealiest would be the following tuesday. People at work would be concerned but not alarmed if I didn’t show up for work and not call but if it happened again on Tuesday I think they’d be calling someone. Me too. Less than a week, but a few days. Unless the rent was due, in which case my landlord would find me before I hit the floor. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/34 "2011-11-05T22:38:28Z")
If I was not married, it would probably be a week or more. But I am and we are together almost 24/7 these days, so it would be very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/35 "2011-11-05T22:46:09Z")
Probably two or three weeks. I live alone, don’t work, and my family lives about three cities/towns over. I’d probably be discovered after not answering the phone for a week or two. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/36 "2011-11-05T22:57:24Z")
Probably three or four days. I live alone. My coworkers would wonder about me not showing up, but they would assume I didn’t mention a day off or something. My boss would probably give me a day or two before he’d try to track me down. After a few days, I’d expect one of the handful of people at the office who have my personal phone number to try calling that. When they couldn’t get an answer there, one of them who knows my family would touch base there to make sure I was ok. That would lead to my parents or sister coming to the house, and they have a key. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/37 "2011-11-05T23:19:29Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I live alone, I am self employed and all my family lives 2000 miles away, so I don’t think I would be found until my landlord/neighbor noticed the smell or when I failed to pay the rent. > [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Probably two or three weeks. > I live alone, don’t work, and my family lives about three cities/towns over. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m retired, I live alone, and my family doesn’t live in the area so it would probably be a while. Probably when the rent didn’t get paid and the landlord showed up to ask about it. You realize if the OP is a serial killer, we’re at the top of the list. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/38 "2011-11-05T23:24:57Z")
Single person checking in here. My best friend lives 3 houses away. If I don’t open the blinds by 9 am, he calls me. If I don’t answer the phone, he comes to beat on my door. If I don’t answer the door because I’m still blind drunk from the night before, he will use his key to come and check on me. Then he will make fun of me for years because I was sleeping with one boot on. I have to set my alarm on the weekends in case I have to call in sick to my friend. I’m not nearly as bad to him as he is to me. I’d give him a day before I used my key to his house. The house across the street has been vacant for 5 years. The lady who lived there, elderly, kids in the same state, no friends in the neighborhood, etc., died and wasn’t found for a couple of weeks. I don’t know if the place hasn’t been sold due to that easy to find data, or because of family squables. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/39 "2011-11-05T23:26:02Z")
I have a roommate. So assuming I didn’t die in my bedroom with the door closed, I’d be found whenever she got home. If I did die behind a closed door, it would probably take longer because we absolutely don’t bother each other short of a dire emergency if someone has their door closed. However, I have a cat who is my sole responsibility and she’d quickly start wondering why I appeared to be in my room but was ignoring its hungry yowls and not cleaning the box, so I estimate less than a day in that case. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957/40 "2011-11-05T23:36:25Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > > [@Musicat](#): > > > > As a Realtor, I’ve had worse properties. 😃 > > In what way? After they die, they come back to haunt. A dead body can be moved. A ghost is harder to relocate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-be-before-someone-discovered-your-corpse/601957.md?page=3)