GOLDEN VALLEY, Ariz. – Law enforcement authorities in Arizona discovered numerous dead animals in a man’s freezer — some frozen alive — leading to charges of animal cruelty.
A woman reported that a man — identified as Michael Patrick Turland — failed to return snakes that she loaned for the purpose of breeding a few months prior. Moreover, several animals and reptiles, including hers, were located in his freezer April 3, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office said.
Turland and his wife, Brooklyn Beck, apparently vacated the property and left the state. The landlord told the woman who was looking for her snakes that a freezer full of dead animals was discovered in the garage while they were cleaning, the sheriff’s office said.
Hence, deputies and Animal Control officers entered the property and confirmed the freezer contained a wide variety of frozen animals, approximately 183 total, WDBJ reported.
Frozen in place were dogs, turtles, lizards, birds, snakes and rabbits among other animals. Furthermore, several of the animals appeared to have been frozen alive due to their body positioning, according to the sheriff’s office.
Turland returned to the residence April 13. His wife was not with him. Deputies responded and took him into custody.
During an interview, the suspect eventually admitted placing some of the animals in the freezer while they were still alive, according to WDBJ.
Consequently, Turland was booked at the Mohave County Detention Facility in Kingman. He is charged with 94 counts of animal cruelty.
The sheriff’s office still seeks to speak to Beck regarding the crimes.
