In a bizarre and unsettling case, an Arizona man, Joseph Daniel Hill Jr., 51, has been charged with failing to report a death and concealing a body after authorities found the remains of his father stored in a freezer at their family home.
Hill allegedly kept his father, Joseph Hill Sr., in the freezer for nearly four years, claiming he wanted to avoid losing the family property.
On Friday, October 25, law enforcement in Tempe, Arizona, received reports that Hill had stored his deceased father in a stand-up freezer in the backyard. Media outlets including CNN, AZFamily CBS5, and Fox10 Phoenix revealed that the freezer had been unplugged and left outside for approximately four to six months.
The residence where the discovery was made is reportedly registered in the name of Hill’s late father, who had owned the property since Hill’s childhood.
According to police documents, Hill stated that his father passed away four years ago at the family home. He then explained that he chose not to report the death, fearing that his lack of ownership on the property’s title could lead to his eviction.
The investigation began after a tip-off on October 22, when officers first visited the property. Per reports, Hill initially prevented police from examining the freezer, alleging his father had died out of state in Oregon.
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Upon further investigation, authorities found no official record of Joseph Hill Sr.’s death. However, they noted that his Social Security payments had been collected up until March 2023. Suspicious of Hill’s behavior, detectives returned with a search warrant.
Reports indicate that Hill’s demeanor changed when officers arrived, leading him to admit there was “something in the freezer.” Inside, detectives found the remains in a skeletal state, tightly wrapped in layers of duct tape, saran wrap, and cloth, secured with ratchet straps.
Further inquiries revealed that Hill had purchased the freezer shortly after his father’s passing. He allegedly intended to bury the body on a plot of land he owned in Strawberry, Arizona, but his plans changed following a fire and subsequent power outage at the property, prompting him to return to Tempe with the remains.
Hill also claimed he had attempted to dispose of his father’s body in the desert, but abandoned the effort after encountering bystanders.
Currently held on a $25,000 bond, Hill is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on November 4.