She is now undergoing a mental health evaluation
A woman in Russia shared a bed with her husband's mummified corpse for four years and performed occult rituals inspired by an ancient Egyptian god, the New York Post reported. The woman, named Svetlana, 50, kept her husband's corpse in their bed and warned her children not to tell anyone or they'd be sent to an orphanage.
Notably, Vladimir, 49, died under mysterious circumstances in their large house four years ago, according to 78.ru. The couple reportedly fought in December 2020, during which the wife yelled at the man and wished him death. The husband then reportedly collapsed and died, but the wife thought he was pretending. A few hours later, the eldest daughter suspected something was wrong and asked about her father.
"The woman wrapped the body of her husband in a blanket and took him to her room. The mother told the children who saw the family drama to keep their mouths shut, threatening to send them to an orphanage" said a report by rg.ru.
Recently, a social worker checking on the family's minor children which includes two girls, aged 17 and eight, and twin boys aged 11, discovered the mummified body. Though they had visited the family several times since 2021, they had previously failed to notice the mummy in bed.
When the house was searched, the police found multiple occult items, including an Egyptian cross at the feet of the mummified husband, tarot cards, amulets, and images of animal skulls.
She allegedly performed several rituals to help preserve her husband's body, claiming this was what Vladimir would have wanted. Authorities also reportedly found that one of the bedrooms held a makeshift shrine to Anubis, the jackal-headed ancient Egyptian god of funerary rites.
Meanwhile, when asked about her husband, she told people and neigbours, that he was in Tibet receiving alternative medical treatment. Vladimir reportedly had health problems with his feet because he refused to wear shoes even in freezing weather.
After the grim discovery, the woman who is said to have a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia, is now undergoing a mental health evaluation. Her four children were also taken to hospital for assessment.
Any charges over the case ''will be made based on the results of the forensic medical examination of the body and necessary verification activities, during which all the circumstances, as well as the causes and conditions of the incident, will be established'', said the Russian Investigative Committee.