KAJANG, Malaysia, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- A Malaysian man kept his dead wife's body in his home for 35 days, concealing her death from their 16-year-old son, police said.
The 44-year-old man, whose name wasn't reported, kept the body of his wife, Lim Ah Tee, 42, hidden in the bedroom of their Kajang home since Sept. 21, The (Malaysia) Star reported Thursday.
The woman died after complaining of chest pains.
"The man said he brushed her hair every day and he even talked to her as if she were alive," said Kajang Police Assistant Commander Rashid Abdul Wahab. "He said he could not report her death because he loved her too much. He was afraid the body would be taken away and he would not be able to see her again."
The man kept Lim's body locked in the bedroom with wet towels placed under the doorway to conceal the stench, the newspaper said.
When the couple's 16-year-old son asked about his mother, the man allegedly told him she was resting.
The man told police about the death Saturday after his brother came for a visit and discovered the body.
Neighbors described the couple -- who had been together for 27 years and married for 17 -- as loving.
The man was fined $80 for not reporting the death, The Star said.
