Alabama parents charged after teen son’s decomposed body found in unplugged freezer

New homeowners were cleaning up their newly purchased property in Headland, Alabama, when they made a gruesome discovery.  There was a dead body discovered in a freezer that had been left in their back yard.  And the former occupants of the residence are now being accused of placing their son in that freezer and leaving him there.

On October 29, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 11:37 a.m. regarding a deceased body at 296 Bradford Drive in Headland, Alabama. When deputies arrived on the scene, they located a dead body in a freezer in the back yard of the residence. The victim is believed to be Logan Michael Halstead 19, of Headland, Alabama.

Officials say that the young man’s decomposed body had been in that unplugged freezer in the back yard for at least three months.

Throughout the course of the investigation, the parents of the deceased 19-year-old  – Michael Shane Halstead and Karen Tysinger Halstead – were located in Jack, Alabama, and brought back to Henry County for questioning. Michael Shane Halstead, 44, of Headland, was arrested and charged with Abuse of a Corpse and remanded to the Henry County Jail. Karen Tysinger Halstead, 43, of Jack, Alabama, was also arrested and charged with Abuse of a Corpse and also remanded to the Henry County Jail.

On October 30, the couple made their initial court appearances and were issued bonds of $175,000 each.  People reported that the couple’s youngest children, 13-year-old twin boys, are currently in the care of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

“This incident is a very tragic situation and our agency is committed to finding out the truth. The investigation is still on going and information will continue to be released as the case progresses. The body of the deceased has been transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an official autopsy. I would like to personally thank the Headland Police Department, Dothan Police Department, and Alabama State Troopers for their assistance in the investigation. If you have any information regarding the case please contact the Henry County Task Force at 334-585-3131” ~ Sheriff Eric Blankenship

The father informed investigators that his son suffered from spina bifida and that his son died following an accident in the family home on Bradford Drive. “He then told investigators that everything then went hazy and he doesn’t know how the body got into an unplugged freezer in their backyard,” according to WRBL Columbus, who also reported that the father is a Coast Guard veteran suffering with PTSD.

A preliminary autopsy could not determine Logan’s cause of death.  The case is still under investigation, leading the door open for the parents to possibly face more serious charges, including murder.

For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.

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(Source: Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama)
(Michael Shane Halstead and Karen Tysinger Halstead booking photos, Image credit: Henry County Jail)

Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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