Body in freezer may not be illegal

racheleggert · 10-28-2004, 05:52 PM

Last update: October 28, 2004 at 8:29 AM
Body in freezer may not be illegal
Associated Press
October 28, 2004 FREEZE1029

SPOKANE, Wash. -- It may seem creepy, but it's not necessarily a crime to keep a corpse in the freezer, police say.

A 59-year-old man walked into the Public Safety Building on Tuesday to ask what he should do with the dead woman's body he had stashed in a chest-style freezer, Capt. Bruce Roberts said. Detectives who responded to the Chateaux Apartments found the body of a 57-year-old woman inside the freezer, he said.

Police did not identify the man but said he was the woman's caregiver. He told them he arrived at the woman's apartment about a week ago and found her dead, then put her in the freezer.

``His underlying motivation, at least what he told us, was he wanted to preserve her dignity,'' Roberts said. ``It's unique and unusual, but at this point there is nothing criminal.''

The man was sent to a hospital for a mental evaluation.

Detectives couldn't remove the body, so they took the whole freezer, Roberts said. There were no obvious signs of foul play but an autopsy was planned once the body thawed.

The man told investigators that he had a relationship with the woman for several years but was not her husband.

``She apparently had several strokes and other medical problems during that time,'' police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

10-28-2004, 05:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
racheleggert Chode! Chode! Chode! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 2,216	Body in freezer may not be illegal Last update: October 28, 2004 at 8:29 AM Body in freezer may not be illegal Associated Press October 28, 2004 FREEZE1029 SPOKANE, Wash. -- It may seem creepy, but it's not necessarily a crime to keep a corpse in the freezer, police say. A 59-year-old man walked into the Public Safety Building on Tuesday to ask what he should do with the dead woman's body he had stashed in a chest-style freezer, Capt. Bruce Roberts said. Detectives who responded to the Chateaux Apartments found the body of a 57-year-old woman inside the freezer, he said. Police did not identify the man but said he was the woman's caregiver. He told them he arrived at the woman's apartment about a week ago and found her dead, then put her in the freezer. ``His underlying motivation, at least what he told us, was he wanted to preserve her dignity,'' Roberts said. ``It's unique and unusual, but at this point there is nothing criminal.'' The man was sent to a hospital for a mental evaluation. Detectives couldn't remove the body, so they took the whole freezer, Roberts said. There were no obvious signs of foul play but an autopsy was planned once the body thawed. The man told investigators that he had a relationship with the woman for several years but was not her husband. ``She apparently had several strokes and other medical problems during that time,'' police spokesman Dick Cottam said. __________________ PROUD BARACK OBAMA SUPPORTER!

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