Ala. Teen's Decomposed Body Found by New Homeowners in Backyard Freezer, Parents Arrested for Alleged Abuse

Alabama homeowners discovered a decomposed body in the backyard freezer on Sunday while cleaning their new property

Police arrested an Alabama couple who allegedly put their 19-year-old son’s dead body in a freezer.

On Sunday, Henry County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Michael Shane Halstead, 44, and Karen Tysinger Halstead, 42, in Jack, Alabama in Coffee County, Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship told PEOPLE. The couple are currently in police custody at the Henry County Jail after being arrested and charged with one count of Abuse of a Corpse.

“We received a call at 11:37 a.m. and when officers responded they found the body at 296 Bradford Drive,” Blankenship told PEOPLE. The decomposed body, believed to be 19-year-old Logan Michael Halstead, was found in a freezer outside of Halstead’s previous home.

The Halsteads were questioned before being charged. After they were arrested in Jack, they were taken back to Henry County. On Monday, they appeared in court for the first time and were issued a bond of $175,000 each by Judge James Peterson in a preliminary hearing, Blankenship said.

The couple's youngest children, 13-year-old twin boys, are currently in the care of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

Related: Caretaker Accused of Killing Philadelphia Girl, 4, in 'Horrific' Case of Child Abuse

The landlord sold the Halstead's house to the current homeowners in September. The new homeowners were cleaning their new property when they found the decomposed body.

Blankenship told WDHN the body has been in the freezer since late August.

“This incident is a very tragic situation and our agency is committed to finding out the truth. The investigation is still ongoing and information will continue to be released as the case progresses,” Blankenship said in a press release.

Blankenship said the department is currently in the initial stages of the investigation and that the deceased’s body has been transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an official autopsy. In addition to working with the forensic team, the sheriff said the department is working with the Social Security Administration. Blankenship told PEOPLE the deceased was receiving disability benefits due to his ongoing medical issues. These included spina bifida, reports WSFA.

Blankenship said the parents could face murder charges depending on the outcome of the autopsy.

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WDHN and News 4 report that Michael allegedly attempted to hide his son’s body from his wife and their other children. Before putting Logan in the backyard freezer, Michael wrapped his son’s body in a plastic bag, blankets, and a shower curtain and covered him in cardboard. Following the disposal of Logan’s body, Micheal moved his family into a hotel room to hide it further.

In open court, Michael said his wife had no knowledge of the alleged crime, Blankenship told PEOPLE. Authorities "believe that she had knowledge prior to the arrests being made," the sheriff said.

Related: Arizona Parents Charged with Child Abuse After Baby Dies, Siblings Found with Bugs in Their Ears

Blankenship told PEOPLE that Michael called the Headland Police Department on Oct. 11 and said he had hidden his son’s body. The officers searched the property but did not find the hidden body and left.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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