CHILLICOTHE, OH (WCMH) –Chillicothe police are investigating the discovery of a body Monday morning as a possible “suspicious death.”

Detective Bud Lytle said the badly decomposing body was found in a house in the 600 block of Glencroft Ave. Lytle described the owner as a hoarder and said the house was so filled with stuff it took investigators some time to find the body. “Roughly four feet of garbage throughout the entire house in the pathways and outside of that there was garbage stacked floor to ceiling,”Lytle said.

Neighbors say they haven’t seen the homeowner, Charles Kaltenbach, for more than six months. They describe Kaltenbach as a recluse. They say he often slept in his truck on the street rather than inside his house. Some said they hadn’t seen him since he came home from a stay at the VA hospital.

Doug Bernhardt lives next door. “I think he went in there and died but there’s been people in and out of that place, in and out of that place for months and months,” Bernhardt said.

Bernhardt says he contacted police about his suspicion that drug users were staying in the house and stealing things from inside.

“I’ve never been over there,” Berhardt said. “I’ve only been close enough to stop two people and have them arrested. I’m glad they got it all over with. You know the guy’s got to be put to rest the right way.”

Police say they can’t confirm the identity of the body but Patty Shacklford says she’s sure it’s her cousin, Charles “Red” Kaltenbach. “He didn’t ask for help,” Shackleford said. “It’s sad. He was the only person living in the house.”

Lytle said there’s no evidence of foul play but added they’re not ruling it out. He confirmed the remains were found underneath piles of garbage but said there are a number of ways that could happen that do not involve criminality.

The investigation is continuing.