> (ex-LEO not serial killer...: )
Oh yeah, like they’re mutually exclusive.
Seriesly, the guy was obviously very isolated; maybe he simply didn’t get any visitors until after the smell had died down.
The smell can linger for year’s sometimes. It’s an unmistakeable smell. Think of a dead hog that’s been skinned and hanging for a few days times 3 (hunters know what I’m talking’ about...
Not everyone has encountered the smell before, and thus might not recognize it. Also, depending on the amount and type of garbage in the garage, his may not have been the only obnoxious odor. (Keep in mind that the poor guy was obviously not all there mentally, and he left enough crap behind to warrant at least one dump run.)