Police say man was dead on kitchen floor for over a year

Police in Michigan discovered the body of a man who likely has been dead in his home for a year, USA Today reported.

Gary Richard Buys, 69, of Tyrone Township, Mich., was found about 7:30 a.m. local time Friday after a neighbor requested a welfare check, Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte said Tuesday. Buys' body was found deteriorated on the kitchen floor.

Police believe Buys died of natural causes. But an autopsy will be needed to confirm that claim.

Officers found “quite a few liquor bottles” in Buys' home, but whether alcohol was a factor in the man’s death was not immediately known, Bezotte said. 

Foul play is not suspected, police said. Buys does not have any known family, they added. His parents are dead and he was not married. Neighbors noticed Buys' yard had overgrown with grass, according to USA Today, but they thought Buys was at his cottage in northern Michigan.

A neighbor at the cabin, whose name was not released, had reported not seeing Buys in a long time. He became concerned after failing to reach Buys when a tree fell on his cottage. Bezotte said Buys' utility services were still on.

"It's sad no one was checking on him or paying attention to him," Bezotte said.

Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4593. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj