February 18, 2007	Sunday	Muharram 29, 1428

NEW YORK, Feb 17: A man’s body was found in his home more than a year after his death, with the television still on and his features preserved by dry conditions in the house, officials said.

Vincenzo Ricardo, 70, apparently died of natural causes, said Dr Stuart Dawson, Suffolk County’s deputy chief medical examiner. Southampton Town police found Ricardo’s body this week when they responded to a report of burst pipes.

Ricardo was found in a chair in front of the television set, as though he were watching it, Dawson said.

The home’s dry air had left his features intact, morgue assistant Jeff Bacchus said.

“You could see his face. He still had hair on his head,” Bacchus said.

Ricardo’s wife died years ago, and he lived alone, Dawson said.

“He hasn’t been heard from in over a year. That’s the part that baffles me,” he said. “Nobody sounded the alarm.”

Neighbours said they had thought Ricardo was in a hospital or nursing home. Still, neighbour Diane Devon said residents at a gathering last month remarked that they hadn’t seen him in some time.

“We never thought to check on him,” she said.—AP