HENRY COUNTY, Ala. – An Alabama couple was taken into custody over the weekend after the “severely decomposed” body of their 19-year-old son was discovered stuffed inside a freezer behind a residence they recently vacated.
The criminal defendants were identified as 44-year-old Michael Shane Halstead and 43-year-old Karen Tysinger Halstead. They were arrested Sunday and charged with one count each of abuse of a corpse, authorities announced, according to Law&Crime.
Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship told the news outlet that additional charges may be filed against the couple as the investigation progresses and more evidence is obtained.
“We’re only on day one of the investigation so other potential charges could still be pending, including murder,” he said.
On Sunday at approximately 11:37 a.m., deputies responded to a home located in the 200 block of Bradford Drive. The reporting party told a dispatcher that they had just found a corpse on the property, according to a news release by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Dothan Eagle reported.
Responding deputies located a “severely decomposed body” inside an overturned freezer that had been abandoned in the backyard of the residence.
According to county officials, the remains were preliminarily identified as being 19-year-old Logan Michael Halstead.
Once the body was discovered and the previous residents were identified, Michael and Karen Halstead were located several hours later in Jack, Alabama, which is about 50 miles west of the property.
The couple was transported back to Henry County, where they were interviewed by detectives and then booked at the Henry County Jail.
“This incident is a very tragic situation and our agency is committed to finding out the truth,” Sheriff Blankenship said in a statement released after the arrests. “The investigation is still ongoing and information will continue to be released as the case progresses.”
The Halstead’s appeared in court Monday morning where their bond was set at $175,000.
