Alabama Man Allegedly Put Father's Remains in Deep Freezer

A 59-year-old man has been charged with abuse of a corpse after police discovered the remains of his deceased father in a deep freezer inside his Mobile, Alabama, home, PEOPLE confirms.

A Mobile Police Department spokeswoman tells PEOPLE that officers were sent to the home of William Gray May on September 15 to investigate a missing persons report filed by one of his relatives – and the missing person was May's 85-year-old father, William May, the spokeswoman says.

After obtaining a search warrant, police combed through the son's residence and happened upon a large freezer in his garage.

Investigators looked inside and allegedly found the father's remains stuffed inside.

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An autopsy is being performed on the corpse to determine the date and manner of death. Blood tests are also being done as part of the ongoing investigation.

May could end up facing additional criminal charges depending on the results of the autopsy and the blood screening, the spokeswoman tells PEOPLE.

May was detained Monday evening, and had yet to appear in court to enter a plea.

Records do not indicate if May has hired a defense lawyer who could comment on his behalf.