A southeast Alabama couple is behind bars after authorities said their 19-year-old son’s decomposed body was found in a freezer.
Michael Shane Halstead, 44, and Karen Tysinger Halstead, 43, are charged with abuse of corpse.
The discovery was made Sunday on Bradford Drive in Headland.
Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship said the sheriff’s office received a 911 call at 11:37 a.m. about a dead body at that location. When deputies arrived on scene, they found a decomposed body inside a freezer in the back yard of the home.
The sheriff said the remains are believed to be those of Logan Michael Halstead. He may have died as early as July or August.
Blankenship said the family had moved away from the home - which they rented - more than a month ago. The owner had recently sold the property and the new owners were cleaning up when they made the gruesome discover.
They came upon the freezer in the backyard and it was too heavy to load up on the trailer to move so they were going to clean it out before hauling it way.
When they opened it up and began moving things around, they saw a hand and immediately called 911.
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The victim’s parents were taken into custody later Sunday in Jack, which is in Coffee County, and returned to Henry County for questioning. Once charges were filed, they were booked into the Henry County Jail without bond.
“This incident is a very tragic situation, and our agency is committed to finding out the truth,’’ Blankenship said.
The victim’s body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an autopsy.
The Headland Police Department, the Dothan Police Department and Alabama State Troopers assisted in the investigation.
The couple appeared in court Monday afternoon. A judge set their bond at $175,000 each.
Blankenship said more charges are possible.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Henry County Task Force at 334-585-3131.