Philadelphia cops discover man's body in freezer with bag over his head
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Early on Friday, December 23, police in South Philadelphia made a horrifying discovery when they found a man's body inside a freezer in the basement of a house, with a plastic bag over his head. Investigators visited the residence in the 1200 block of Snyder Avenue around 6 am to obtain more information.
NBC Philadelphia reported that before finding a knife in the basement, police reportedly discovered blood splattered on the stairs. Philadelphia Police Chief Scott Small reportedly said that more blood was discovered near the icebox. "Officers opened the freezer box and that’s when they discovered a body face down," Small stated as reported by The Sun. Investigations are still ongoing, therefore the man who was discovered inside the freezer is still unidentified. However, authorities said that the only residents of the house were a father and his child. Police suspect that the victim may have been fatally stabbed. Small called the terrifying discovery "tragic" and "gruesome."
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Locals reported seeing a man "wielding" a knife in the vicinity to NBC. The property did not seem to have been "ransacked," according to the police. However, the shocking finding has alarmed the neighborhood.
Ray Hassey, a neighbor, reportedly said he hear "screaming" while out walking his dog early on Friday morning. He said, "It's pretty terrifying that stuff like this is going on," as reported by CBS News. Police suspect the victim's relative may have made a noise after conducting a wellness check on the victim.
Yusuf Mitchell, a local, deemed this discovery as a "bad way" to kick off the holiday season. He reportedly stated, "This is a shock to the community, for people to wake up and see this. It's a Friday, Christmas coming up, and it's a bad way to start off the holidays," as reported CBS. A white SUV was discovered outside the house, and the police suspect it belonged to the father or his son.
Police have disclosed that they have arrested a person of interest in connection with their investigation. However, no charges have been brought because police are still speaking to the victim's family while his identity has not been disclosed.