Elderly woman missing for almost ten years found crammed into freezer

The San Diego Police Department recently announced that a woman's body was found crammed into a freezer last month. The woman's body could have been lodged in the freezer for up to nine years, according to Fox News Digital.

Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones' body, who would have been 81 at the time of her discovery, was found by family members who were visiting from out of town. The family was apparently visiting a house on Zion Avenue, stationed about 10 miles from Downtown San Diego, California.

Members of the family happened upon the woman's remains after opening a chest freezer. They immediately called the police on December 22, around 11:45 a.m. Because the woman's body was discovered in such an unusual place, the San Diego Police Homicide Unit was sent to investigate the situation.

Haxby-Jones, a white female, was said to have lived at the residence. The cause of death in the case has not been determined, and her remains are currently being investigated by the Medical Examiner's Office, according to the San Diego Police Department.

There was no obvious evidence of traumatic injury to the body when it was discovered, and the case remains under investigation as a suspicious death, per the report. The San Diego Police Department suggested that Haxby-Jones could have been stuffed into the freezer nine years ago.

The department also suggested that anyone who may have information about the nature of the case should contact the authorities immediately.

It's not completely clear who currently lives at the residence on Zion Avenue where the body was discovered. And no suspects have been identified in the case.

Former homicide detective Pete Carrillo suggested that investigators would likely be taking a look at the victim's financial records, adding that "[i]it's a misappropriation of a dead body, you have a duty to call the authorities if someone has passed so they can be processed in a normal fashion."

"All that process has been avoided for a particular reason and one could only think that it was to perhaps benefit financially off of not reporting her death."

Neighbors who live on the same street were shocked at the news. One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she knew Haxby-Jones, but that she couldn't remember the last time she had seen her. The neighbor described the woman as someone who stayed inside a lot.

"I used to say 'Good morning Mary, hello Mary, goodbye Mary.' That’s it," she said.

The police department urged anyone who may have information in the case to contact the Homicide Unit or Crime Stoppers.

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