GA - Athens, wife finds husband's body in basement after he was missing for a month, 44yo Frank Perry Williams, 09 APR 2025

[Gemmie]

Good question. I would think the City could only make you update if there was a specific circumstance like you mentioned. Or neighbor complaints, if a building permit was filed, external unsafe conditions which are clearly visible, agency complaint (CPS Visit), fire response/investigation, etc.

If code enforcement entered that house. I wonder if they would have made her move out?

Dunno, but I found this:

The electrical panel is the power control center of your home. They don't last forever, especially the older electrical panel systems, and, as they age, they can become prone to problems.

Panels used between the 1960s and 1990s or sooner may not meet code requirements and pose a fire hazard. These panels may lead to electrical overloads, high currents passing through, risk of electrical shock, and even fire.

And...

With the technology demands required by the modern household, old fuse boxes are not suitable for modern electrical systems and requirements. Today, new homes are being equipped with circuit breakers. These systems have better advantages over traditional fuse boxes as they can handle greater electrical loads as they 'break' or 'trip' when the electrical load is exceeded.

In traditional fuse boxes, fuses were used by allowing the fuse to melt and breaking the conductive connection between two wires. A melted fuse meant there was an excess in electricity. Once the fuse melted, a new fuse needed to be replaced.

And...

Aluminum wiring was used to supply electricity throughout homes built in the 1960s and the 1970s. Because aluminum is a good conductor of electricity, it conducts electricity very well. However, electricians at the time did not consider the thermal expansion properties of aluminum, which proved to be a mistake and not a long-term electrical wiring option for homes.

The expansive properties of aluminum proved to not be a viable option, as the change in its properties lead to premature wear and tear, looser connections at the terminals, and ultimately posing a fire risk to homeowners.

And....

Non-metallic (NM) wiring, in which cables are wrapped in a flexible plastic sheath, is a type of wiring that was popular in the 1960s. While this wiring worked great back then, today's homes have different electrical needs. Replacing this type of wiring is also a good idea, and it can increase the comfort and safety of your home.

Types of Outdated Wiring in Homes

In this Estes Blog, We will discuss the common types of outdated wiring found in homes and their dangers so you can take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.

www.estesair.com

The above info is for Atlanta, GA, and thinking it would be the same for the state.

 

[Kittypoo]

I meant that when she wrote "Me and my daughter love you," his response was "Ok." MOO but these two didn't have a great relationship.

But his ok comment was on 31 March and apparently he had been missing for a month prior to 9 April. Has someone slipped up here?

 

[Angelcat13]

The home was built in 1967. Price history isn't available so it hasn't sold recently-ish. I believe you're only required to make updates to things when there are changes to the code, but that's when the house changes hands to the best of my knowledge. Someone might now for sure how that works.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/181-Lavender-Rd-Athens-GA-30606/54362528_zpid/

I don’t know how it works in GA, but in NJ items only need to be brought up to code if you are making renovations, additions, etc.

For example, if your house was built in the 1940’s and the code didn’t specify how many electrical outlets you needed (per room and/or per linear foot), if they needed to be grounded 3-prong outlets and or GFCI outlets, then you are not required to bring them up to current code on a routine basis.

If you are redoing your electrical system (electrical panel & wiring) then the upgrade/renovation would have to be done to current code.

If you are selling the house the Buyer can get an inspection and may REQUEST the Seller make some improvements (such as adding additional outlets, grounding an outlet, installing a GFCI outlet, etc), however the Seller is not obligated to do so. A Seller may choose to make the repairs/upgrades requested by a Buyer in order to keep the deal from falling apart, but they don’t have to and could sell the house “as-is”.

As far as I know, all townships require a resale Certificate of Occupancy but some towns only look at fire safety while other towns may require an inspection by a Twp official. The township may refuse to issue a CO unless certain repairs are done but it typically has to be because something is unsafe, not just that it isn’t up to current code.

 

[Gemmie]

I don’t know how it works in GA, but in NJ items only need to be brought up to code if you are making renovations, additions, etc.

If you are selling the house the Buyer can get an inspection and may REQUEST the Seller make some improvements (such as adding additional outlets, grounding an outlet, installing a GFCI outlet, etc), however the Seller is not obligated to do so. A Seller may choose to make the repairs/upgrades requested by a Buyer in order to keep the deal from falling apart, but they don’t have to and could sell the house “as-is”.

Yes! I knew someone would bring up what I had forgotten. So changes, not just changing hands, and more importantly, not necessarily WHEN changing hands. GTK!

 

[Angelcat13]

Dunno, but I found this:

The electrical panel is the power control center of your home. They don't last forever, especially the older electrical panel systems, and, as they age, they can become prone to problems.

Panels used between the 1960s and 1990s or sooner may not meet code requirements and pose a fire hazard. These panels may lead to electrical overloads, high currents passing through, risk of electrical shock, and even fire.

And...

With the technology demands required by the modern household, old fuse boxes are not suitable for modern electrical systems and requirements. Today, new homes are being equipped with circuit breakers. These systems have better advantages over traditional fuse boxes as they can handle greater electrical loads as they 'break' or 'trip' when the electrical load is exceeded.

In traditional fuse boxes, fuses were used by allowing the fuse to melt and breaking the conductive connection between two wires. A melted fuse meant there was an excess in electricity. Once the fuse melted, a new fuse needed to be replaced.

And...

Aluminum wiring was used to supply electricity throughout homes built in the 1960s and the 1970s. Because aluminum is a good conductor of electricity, it conducts electricity very well. However, electricians at the time did not consider the thermal expansion properties of aluminum, which proved to be a mistake and not a long-term electrical wiring option for homes.

The expansive properties of aluminum proved to not be a viable option, as the change in its properties lead to premature wear and tear, looser connections at the terminals, and ultimately posing a fire risk to homeowners.

And....

Non-metallic (NM) wiring, in which cables are wrapped in a flexible plastic sheath, is a type of wiring that was popular in the 1960s. While this wiring worked great back then, today's homes have different electrical needs. Replacing this type of wiring is also a good idea, and it can increase the comfort and safety of your home.

Types of Outdated Wiring in Homes

In this Estes Blog, We will discuss the common types of outdated wiring found in homes and their dangers so you can take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.

www.estesair.com

The above info is for Atlanta, GA, and thinking it would be the same for the state.

Replying to this as well as adding to my comment above. A homeowner could essentially be “forced” to make upgrades (staying with the electrical scenario) if their homeowner’s insurance deems it to be unsafe and refuses to insure the property unless upgrades are made. In my area we see this frequently with knob-and-tube wiring.

 

[Gemmie]

Replying to this as well as adding to my comment above. A homeowner could essentially be “forced” to make upgrades (staying with the electrical scenario) if their homeowner’s insurance deems it to be unsafe and refuses to insure the property unless upgrades are made. In my area we see this frequently with knob-and-tube wiring.

Also GTK! Thanks!

 

[Jo in Calif]

But his ok comment was on 31 March and apparently he had been missing for a month prior to 9 April. Has someone slipped up here?

It was March 31, 2024.

 

[Knox]

Any update on the cause of death?

 

[Gemmie]

Any update on the cause of death?

Nope. It's been like crickets.

 

[Knox]

Nope. It's been like crickets.

Thanks Gemmie, hey whats a Guardian?

 

[Gemmie]

Thanks Gemmie, hey whats a Guardian?

Soon...

 

[Knox]

Soon...

You’re just going to tease us?

 

[Gemmie]

You’re just going to tease us?

It appears so. lol

 

[Judy Sleuth]

My speculation about possible natural causes: for whatever reason after their argument, he decides to use the saw in the basement room (?!but why?!). Some people have mentioned how the photos of the house look like a hoarding situation, so the room he's been found in might not be well-organized, maybe even piles of stuff on the floor to trip on. While he's using the saw - perhaps on that moldy wall? - perhaps it slips and cuts into the electrical line to the dryer, not just regular household current. Then we would have higher, more dangerous voltage, and if he jerks back/spasms from the electrocution, perhaps he falls backward into a damp wall, creating the chance for exit burns to appear on his neck and back, not on his chest nor on his feet, as many have wondered in this forum. And the dryer breaker can trip by itself without taking out power to the entire house (at least ours can). And then the electrocution and risk of fire would end - and I think his body would fall to the floor and his hands release the saw (not be spasmed in still holding it).

And **IF** there is a hoarding situation (we don't know that except from speculation from photos), the stench may not have been noticeable beyond the "usual" for a few weeks. Likewise any missing clothes or personal items may not have had a typical, well-organized place where they were kept, so their absence might not be so noticeable then either.

Again, entirely my OPINION, based on comments that the house may have had some hoarding going on.

Sounds like the employment absence was unlucky timing for either job to worry about him, if it's true that he had just left VM and begun at Taco Bell. The vehicle situation is curious to me, though perhaps he didn't have one at the time (maybe he couldn't afford to have one at the moment).

 

[Caring1]

July 2, 2025

No foul play is suspected in the death of a man whose body lay undiscovered in the basement of a home for about a month before it was found on April 9. Athens-Clarke County Coroner Mike Eberhart said Tuesday that autopsy results from the State Crime Lab show that Frank Perry Williams died of an overdose of cocaine and alcohol.

Autopsy shows man found dead in basement died of overdose

An autopsy shows no foul play in overdose death of Athens man.

www.onlineathens.com

 

[Chimera]

Thanks for the update, @Caring1 .
Still, I'll always wonder why it took so long for him to be noticed ?
RIP.

 

[10ofRods]

This seems strange. She's not worried when he just disappears? I'm assuming all his clothes and belonging are still in the house but she just assumes he walked out without taking a thing?

Good point. Very suspicious. I bet the investigators are also very suspicious.

How would he even manage to electrocute himself with burns around the neck area? Did he try to cut off his own head when the saw went haywire?

Or did someone else contemplate cutting off his head and somehow short out the saw?

Really bizarre details. Must have been a super small fire, not to catch the trash and the house on fire. A brief electrical fire? Really seems like a rare kind of event.

IMO.

 

[Gemmie]

July 2, 2025

No foul play is suspected in the death of a man whose body lay undiscovered in the basement of a home for about a month before it was found on April 9. Athens-Clarke County Coroner Mike Eberhart said Tuesday that autopsy results from the State Crime Lab show that Frank Perry Williams died of an overdose of cocaine and alcohol.

Autopsy shows man found dead in basement died of overdose

An autopsy shows no foul play in overdose death of Athens man.

www.onlineathens.com

Hmmmm.... OK, so fine. That's what the ME came up with. But, I'm still having a hard time grappling with the facts as I know them. Stench in the house that went UNdetected until she "went to put a bike from the yard into the basement". The laundry room was in the basement so apparently she needed to put the bike down there from sitting in the yard for about a month, before she had a need to do a single load of laundry.

All JMO

 

[10ofRods]

July 2, 2025

No foul play is suspected in the death of a man whose body lay undiscovered in the basement of a home for about a month before it was found on April 9. Athens-Clarke County Coroner Mike Eberhart said Tuesday that autopsy results from the State Crime Lab show that Frank Perry Williams died of an overdose of cocaine and alcohol.

Autopsy shows man found dead in basement died of overdose

An autopsy shows no foul play in overdose death of Athens man.

www.onlineathens.com

How did he get burns on his neck then?? How bizarre. I can definitely picture a suicidal person deciding to use cocaine and alcohol as an escape from the suicidal feelings but also with a view to accomplishing suicide. Cocaine + alcohol makes people do really crazy things, so did he also rev up the buzz saw and wield it at his own head/neck area? (Gemmie just posted an explanation - maybe in his cocaine induced mania, he did try to cut off his head but was thwarted by overloading the panel; would love to know if this was a new high wattage buzz saw).

It is indeed weird that Wife thought he had just left without his stuff. Maybe he threatened to leave, a lot.

Very sad story. And one of the strangest I've seen recently.

But his ok comment was on 31 March and apparently he had been missing for a month prior to 9 April. Has someone slipped up here?

Perhaps he came back to commit suicide? Not unheard of. Suicidal people are often not thinking straight and begin picturing their loved ones finding them. They may feel they are "getting even" with the world.

Only makes the whole story even more bizarre.

IMO.

 

[Angelcat13]

I would not be surprised if she may have had a substance abuse and/or mental health issue. I say this because of the possible hoarding situation, the husband is abusing substances and because of her seemingly “off” affect and behavior both to his disappearance and to continuing to live in a home with what would have been obvious stench.