The body of a man was only recently found in the northwestern Spanish village of Canizal, though he may have been dead for up to 20 years.

Police looking in to how Vicente Benito could have died two decades ago, without anyone noticing her was suddenly not around anymore.

Prior to an autopsy, investigators figured he’d have to have been dead for at least 12 years, as the only currency found in his home was in pesetas. In 2002, the euro was introduced to Spanish and with no euros in anywhere in the home, police deduced he had died sometime before more then.

When asked when the last time they saw Benito was, neighbors said they had not seen him in about 20 years. However, he was a solitary man and it was not uncommon for people to go weeks without seeing him. Many in the 520-person village thought he simply moved to neighboring Portugal when he stopped answering the door. Some had heard rumors he had a girlfriend in Portugal so thought nothing of it.

Even the mayor of the town admitted no one had seen him in at least 15 years

Neighbors also recalled Benito leaving his dog tied up outside, which caused a bit of anger. The dog eventually chewed through his restraint and was taken in by a neighbor, but even that was at least a decade ago.

Benito’s body was finally discovered last week when his nephew, a man in a neighboring village, decided to break into his uncle’s home.

If he were alive today, Benito would be 73 years old.