Police make grisly find when they search man's home, but the truth is heartbreaking

Tempe, Arizona: In a case that has shaken the community, a 51-year-old Tempe man, Joseph Daniel Hill Jr, has been arrested. Hill was charged after authorities discovered he had been keeping his deceased father's body in a freezer for over four years so that he could continue collecting his father's Social Security benefits. The discovery was made after police received an anonymous tip, leading to a search of the residence.

Hill Jr allegedly told police that his father passed away at their shared home approximately four years ago. Instead of reporting the death, Hill Jr. said he purchased a freezer the following day to store his father’s remains.

Detectives found the skeletal remains wrapped in a tarp, plastic wrap, and blankets, concealed in the freezer, which had been moved to the backyard of the property. It was revealed that Hill Jr. feared losing the house, as he was not listed on the property deed.

"It's very strange, kind of alarming, to think the remains were just sitting there for all that time," a neighbor told Arizona's family.

According to court documents, a fire broke out in the home in June 2023, prompting Hill Jr. to attempt to move the freezer to another location. He reportedly tried multiple times to take the freezer to a remote desert location to bury the remains, but each attempt was thwarted by the presence of people in the area. Over the last four to six months, the freezer had been in the backyard without power.

Hill Jr. now faces charges, including one count of failing to report a death and another related count. The cause of death has yet to be determined.