Woman Keep Husband's Corpse In Bedroom For Six Months While Family Prayed For His Resurrection

A Canadian woman sealed her husband's body in the bedroom for six months after his death while the family waited and prayed for his resurrection.

Kaling Wald, 50, pleaded guilty Monday to not notifying authorities of her husband's death, as details in court revealed she allowed his body to rot because she was expecting a truly miraculous recovery.

The body of Peter Wald, who died at age 51, was discovered last September, Dailymail reports.

A sheriff had visited the property to evict the family, along with seven other adults that were living in the home, because their mortgage had fallen into foreclosure.

Kaling and five of her children, ages 11 to 22, packed up the patriarch's shoes and bags in preparation for a move.

When Kaling opened the bedroom door to retrieve her husband, the sheriff got his first whiff that something was wrong.

Peter's had decomposed beyond recognition and had attracted rats in the bedroom, though Kaling had sealed the door and air vents to protect her family from the smell.

His two feet protruded from the blankets Kaling had wrapped around him and secured with duct tape, while a cap was placed on his head.

In court, Kaling remembers the sheriff finally told her 'OK that's enough, close the door.'

The elder Wald suffered from diabetes and had developed an infection in his left foot, but would not go to the doctor, instead relying on God to provide the cure.

Kaling said he slipped into a coma in March, but still she slept by his side.

When she noticed signs of stomach bloat and rigor mortis days later, she sealed him in the bedroom and the family prayed for him to rise from the dead.

'It’s an extremely sad case … she truly believed her husband was going to be resurrected from the dead, even after six months,' assistant crown attorney Janet Booy said.

Kaling's Christian devotion had 'tainted and warped her better judgment' according to Booy, and the family 'prayed on a daily basis for Peter to come back to life.'

Superior Court Justice Marjoh Agro gave her a suspended sentence, ordering her to serve 18 months’ probation and seek counseling.

'Your belief that your husband would resurrect is not an issue,' Agro told her Monday. 'This is not about your religious beliefs. It is about your safety, the safety of your children and the safety of the community at large.'

The CBC reports that homeowners noticed a change in the family's behavior around the time that Peter died.

Next-door neighbor Brian Dennis says he saw the family dancing and chanting in the back yard while wearing black robes. He also saw flies at the bedroom window and birds pecking at the screen.

When he and his wife Brenda asked about Peter's health, Kaling would only respond 'He’s in God’s hands now.'

The family's blue van, painted with religious messages such as, 'You must make a choice heaven or hell,' had been parked outside the home for years, but one night neighbors saw the family painting over it with rollers. 

In spite of the odd behavior, residents say they were sad to have missed a chance to bid a proper farewell.

'He’d fix kids’ bikes. He’d cut people’s grass,' Brenda said. 'And now no one can say goodbye.'