TEMPE, Ariz. — A Valley man has been arrested after human remains were allegedly found in his freezer, according to authorities.
The Tempe Police Department said 51-year-old Joseph Hill Jr. is facing charges of concealment of a body, a class 5 felony, and failure to report death, a class 2 misdemeanor.
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On Oct. 22, the police department received a tip about a dead body in a freezer in the backyard of Hill’s home, police said. Police did not release the location of Hill's home.
"Officers contacted Hill that day, but he refused to allow officers to look inside the freezer," police said in a news release.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Hombre de Tempe puso a su padre muerto en el congelador hace 4 años porque no quería perder su casa
At that time Hill did tell officers that his father had died at home four years ago.
However, detectives noted in their report that Hill's father Joseph Hill Sr. was still collecting social security benefits even after his reported death.
Investigators got a search warrant and a search of Hill's property was conducted. It was then that the skeletal remains were found in the freezer.
The identity of the remains cannot be confirmed at this time, police said.
Court records show Hill allegedly told police he purchased a stand-up freezer shortly after his father died, wrapped his father in a sheet and placed the body in the freezer.
When asked by police why he didn't report the father's death, Hill allegedly stated he was afraid of losing the house because his name was not on the deed.
Hill told investigators he planned to bury his father on a plot of land near Strawberry, then he planned to bury the remains in the desert but was not able to do so because there were "always people out there," court records show.
12News spoke with neighbors who said the house had been vacant for a year after a fire.
Neighbors also said they never expected this to happen in their neighborhood.
"It's unbelievable, it’s shocking [and] unexpected, one neighbor said. "This is where we walk around with our kids so it’s not something I think would happen."
The case remains under investigation
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Tempe Police Department at 480-350-8311. Callers may remain anonymous.
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