A woman who was found dead alongside her husband in their home in Tipperary last Monday died from an illness garda believe.
As the couple had been lying in their home undiscovered for up to 18 months, the exact medical cause of her death will never be uncovered, reports the Independent.
Officers are satisfied that Nicholas Smith (81) died from natural causes and are working on the theory his wife Hilary (79) died from an illness, an informed source told the Independent.
READ MORE: Cause of death of Tipperary couple as gardai piece together what actually happened in mystery case
A post-mortem on Mrs Smith revealed that her death was medically inconclusive, and it is unlikely the mystery will ever be solved as the couple, originally from England, had been dead for some time.
The case shocked locals in the rural area of Cloneen, as they believed the couple had moved to France during the pandemic.
Gardaí have also been in contact with police in the UK to find relatives of the pair, but to date, no next of kin has been notified.
The bodies of the two were found in separate locations in the home.
Mr Smith was found in the bedroom. However, the remains of his wife were found in the sitting room, and blinds were drawn in the rooms involved.
However, according to the Independent, detectives have ruled out a suicide pact and a murder-suicide after the post-mortem examination showed Mr Smith died from natural causes.
The property was fully secured when gardaí called at 4pm last Monday.
Gardai were notified after a man who lived nearby had become concerned at the house's unkempt nature and the fact that the couple's car had not been moved for over 12 months.
There was no sign of forced entry and no indication of any disturbance.
Several upset locals in the tight-knit community of Cloneen have spoken of their shock as they try to come to terms with the double tragedy.
"It's such a shock for everyone. It seems their bodies were there for a long time," one said.
"They told people they were emigrating to France or somewhere in late 2020, so people were under the assumption they had moved away," a shocked local told this paper.
"It's just shocking. It's awfully sad, and everyone is in disbelief, floored and shell-shocked. It's very tragic," another upset local said.
Another said: "It's wicked shocking. Something like this has never happened around here before. I just can't understand it. Everyone is in shock."
Local councillor and publican of The Thatch pub in the village, Mark Fitzgerald, said he too had been left shocked over the couple's deaths.
With a population of only 60 residents in the small, rural agricultural village and 600 residents in the hinterland, the couple "kept to themselves," according to Cllr Fitzgerald.
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