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Background: News footage of the home in South Londonderry Township, Pa., where Sharlene Mikula was found dead on April 14 (WGAL). Inset: Michael Mikula (Lebanon County District Attorney”s Office).
Michael Mikula, 68, is accused of multiple offenses, including abuse of a corpse, neglecting the care of a dependent person, recklessly endangering another person, and tampering with evidence. These charges were brought after police discovered the body of his 66-year-old wife, Sharlene Mikula, in their South Londonderry Township home. According to a statement from the Lebanon County District Attorney, shared with local NBC affiliate WGAL, Michael Mikula was aware of his wife’s death and allegedly took steps to conceal it.
The district attorney’s office reported that Michael Mikula had cohabited with his wife’s corpse for “at least one month.” This grim discovery was made during a police welfare check initiated by Sharlene Mikula’s family on April 14. Upon arriving at the residence, Michael Mikula initially claimed his wife was not present. However, once officers were granted entry, they found Sharlene Mikula’s body in a state of significant decomposition.
In a probable cause affidavit reviewed by WGAL, Michael Mikula disclosed to detectives that his wife had been “gone for a long time.” He revealed that she had lost her appetite in the weeks preceding her death, despite his efforts to encourage her to eat at least one meal daily. He recounted to the police that he discovered her deceased one day and noted that her body did not start decomposing visibly until about a week before the authorities arrived.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WGAL, Michael Mikula told detectives that his wife had “been gone for a long time.” He stated that she had no appetite in the weeks leading up to her death, but tried to get her to eat one meal a day. One day, Michael Mikula allegedly told police, he found his wife dead. He told detectives that she did not appear decomposed until about a week before the cops showed up at his house.
Sharlene Mikula’s family told police that she had suffered from several mental health disorders and was hospitalized for 51 days at a behavioral health center in May 2025. Police said the hospital’s records of her health indicated that Sharlene Mikula lost more than 100 pounds over the course of a year.
WGAL reported that the Mikulas’ home was sold by the sheriff’s office the same day Sharlene Mikula’s body was found. A neighbor told the outlet that the new owner noticed a foul odor in the house.
Michael Mikula was arrested and booked into the Lebanon County Correctional Facility. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 23.