Mich. man arrested after deputies find his wife’s body in freezer wrapped in blanket
04/20/2023 3:42 pm PDT
ISABELLA COUNTY, Mich. (TCD) -- A welfare check at a home in Deerfield Township led to the arrest of a 54-year-old man and the discovery of his wife’s body in a freezer.
According to WPBN/WGTU-TV, on Monday, April 17, the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office received a call from one of the wife’s relatives saying they were concerned because they had not heard from her in a long time. The Isabella County Sheriff’s Office reportedly said in a press release the wife and her family had a "falling out," but some of the family members grew "increasingly" worried about her.
Deputies went to the woman’s home on the 1000 block of West Baseline Road and spoke with the woman’s husband, Terrell York. He allegedly told deputies his wife wasn’t there. Officials arrested York on an unrelated warrant and took him into custody. Then, detectives obtained a warrant to search his home.
Court documents cited by MLive.com say York claimed his wife moved in with some family in Newaygo, but deputies spoke with relatives and learned that wasn’t true. The court documents say York gave "erratic" answers during his interview and was "looking all around the room."
He reportedly said his wife, Patricia York, "did not want her family to know where she was living."
About a year and a half ago, Patricia allegedly told her landlord she had cancer. When the landlord asked Terrell York about it, he "would say she was getting treatment or something like that."
While executing their search warrant, deputies reportedly noted York’s home was "filthy, smelled, and had animal feces throughout the floors."
In the kitchen, Isabella County deputies located a chest freezer and discovered Patricia York’s body when they opened it.
MLive.com reports she was "partially frozen and appeared to have been inside for quite a length of time, wrapped in a blanket."
York reportedly told investigators Patricia died Sept. 13, 2022, of natural causes, and he did not tell anyone about her death. York was reportedly "scared because she was so sick before she died."
According to MLive.com, he continued receiving his wife’s Social Security payments and spent the money on food and other utilities. A preliminary autopsy reportedly did not show any signs of foul play.
Isabella County Jail records show York is being held on a charge of concealing the death of an individual. His bond is set at $5,000.
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