A 51-year-old man has been arrested after he was accused of failing to report his father’s death and stored his remains in a freezer for almost four years.
Joseph Hill Jr, from Arizona in the United States, was arrested after police received a tip on October 22 that he had a dead body in the backyard freezer of his home in Tempe.
In a statement, police said they went to Hill’s home and he confirmed that his father died almost four years ago but he refused to let police and check the freezer.
Police went on to search for records confirming his father’s death but there was nothing. Instead, they found records showing Hill’s father was still the owner of the home and that he was collecting his Social Security benefits up until March 2023.
Police obtained a search warrant and went back to Hill’s home and asked to search the freezer.
“His demeanour began to change and he revealed that there would be something in the freezer,” read the statement.
Police found the skeletal remains and they were not able to identify some of the body parts.
Police added that Hill said he did not want to report his father’s death because he was not on the deed of the house and was afraid to lose his home.
In a report by CNN, Hill appeared in court and his bail was set at $25,000 (R443,728). He is expected to appear again in court on November 4.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
IOL News