Ala. couple arrested after new homeowners discover son’s decomposing body in freezer
10/31/2023 12:35 pm PDT
HEADLAND, Ala. (TCD) -- A 44-year-old man and his 43-year-old wife were taken into custody over the weekend after their teenage son's decomposing body was found in a freezer on the property where they used to live.
On Oct. 29 at 11:37 a.m., Henry County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call on Bradford Drive regarding a deceased individual. When officials arrived, they found a man’s body, believed to be 19-year-old Logan Michael Halstead, in a freezer in the backyard.
Investigators located Logan Halstead’s parents, Michael Halstead and Karen Halstead, in Jack, Alabama, and transported them back to Henry County for questioning. Both were arrested on a charge of abuse of a corpse.
According to WDHN-TV, a couple moved into the home on Bradford Drive and started cleaning up the residence before they moved in.
Lane Keith, the new tenant, told WDHN, "The freezer was going to be the last thing in the backyard that we were going to move and we went to go move it and couldn’t move it. So, my wife flipped the lids off the freezer, moved the tarp back and the cardboard boxes, and there laid a hand."
Detectives reportedly believe Logan’s body had likely been in the freezer since July or August.
Logan Halstead reportedly suffered from spina bifida, which occurs when the spine does not form correctly and can result in paralysis or the inability to walk.
WDHN reports Logan Halstead had a bowel movement in the house, so Michael Halstead left the room to get cleaning supplies. When he returned, he allegedly claimed his son was dead. He reportedly wrapped his son’s body in blankets, a shower curtain, and plastic bag before leaving him in the freezer.
Halstead allegedly moved the rest of his family out of the house following Logan’s death.
Halstead reportedly called Headland Police to report the incident, but investigators never found the body when they went to the house to search.
According to WDHN, Logan Halstead’s body was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, but his cause of death remained undetermined. Karen Halstead and Michael Halstead reportedly could face additional charges, including murder, pending autopsy results.
They are being held at the Henry County Jail on $175,000 bond.
Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship told WDHN, "Very tragic, very horrific scene for you know a situation like this especially to involve a child and parents. This definitely caught us all off guard."
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