Couple indicted, accused of stuffing son’s dead body in freezer

HENRY COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) — A Henry County Grand Jury has found enough evidence to formally charge a husband and wife accused of causing the death of their special needs son before putting his body in a freezer.

In early May, Micheal Shane Halstead, 44, and his wife, 43-year-old Karen Tysinger Halstead, were indicted on charges of corpse abuse and reckless manslaughter.

According to the indictments, the Halsteads caused the death of their special needs son, 19-year-old Logan Michael Halstead, by neglecting him. The indictments go on to say that after Logan was dead, his parents wrapped his dead body in plastic bags and blankets before stuffing him in a freezer.

The freezer and body were found in the backyard of a Headland trailer formally rented by the Halsteads in late October 2023.

Sheriff Eric Blankenship told WDHN it is believed Logan Halsead’s body was put in the freezer in late August 2023, not long before the Halstead family moved from Headland to Jack, Alabama. The new renters found the body while cleaning the property.

Investigators say Logan suffered from Spinal Bifida.

The Halsteads were initially only charged with abuse of a corpse, but court documents claim a further investigation provided enough evidence to charge the couple with reckless manslaughter.

Micheal Halstead will be arraigned on July 12, and Karen will be arraigned on June 17. They have both bonded out of the Henry County Jail.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com.