An Arizona man has been accused of stuffing his father’s body in an unplugged freezer and storing it in his backyard for years.
Joseph Hill Jr, 51, was arrested at his father’s Tempe home last week on a string of charges including one count of failure to report a death and one count of concealing a dead body.
According to charging documents, Hill allegedly left the remains of Joseph Hill Sr to rot inside the appliance for years because he feared he would lose his home if authorities learned his father had died. At one point, the freezer was unplugged and without power for between four and six months.
Tempe Police said it received an online tip last week claiming Hill was keeping his dead father in a stand-up freezer in the backyard of the home.
When officers arrived at the scene, the 51-year-old allegedly claimed that his father passed away in Oregon four years ago.
Hill prevented police from inspecting the freezer, which was covered in tarpaulin and blankets, according to a probable cause statement obtained by CNN .