TEMPE, AZ — A Tempe man is in custody after police say they found human remains in a freezer in his backyard earlier this week.
Tempe police say they received a tip on Tuesday that there was a dead body in a freezer in the backyard of the home of a 51-year-old man.
Officers went to his home near McClintock Drive and Baseline Road that day, but he refused to let officers look inside the freezer. Detectives continued pursuing the tip and developed probable cause for a search warrant.
When that warrant was served, police found skeletal remains of a human body, believed to be the man's father, inside a heavily wrapped freezer. The freezer had not been plugged in for several months, police say.
The man told police his father had passed away four years ago at the home and he purchased a freezer in which to store his father's body.
According to police documents, the man told police he had transported the freezer multiple times over several years and planned to bury his father on a plot of land or in the desert.
The death was not reported because the man was afraid he would lose the home because it was under his father’s name, police documents say. His father's social security checks also continued to be cashed until 2023.
The 51-year-old is currently facing charges of concealing a body and failure to report a death. Tempe police say more charges could be filed.
Police are encouraging anyone with information to call them at 480-350-8311. Callers can remain anonymous.
