Homeowners in Alabama were excited to clean up their new house and make it their home, but they had no idea they would make a grisly discovery. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a call on October 29 regarding the discovery of a corpse in Headland. An investigation determined it was the body of Logan Michael Halstead, the 19-year-old son of the former residents.
Police arrested the teen’s parents, Michael Shane Halstead, 44, and Karen Tysinger Halstead, 43, after interviews led investigators to believe the parents were involved in hiding their son’s body. The couple’s other children — 13-year-old twin boys — are in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
The new owners were reportedly cleaning up their home when they found Logan Halstead’s body.
According to a release from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, it received a call around 11:30 a.m. Sunday about a body found on the property at 296 Bradford Drive in Headland. The owners reportedly found the body in a freezer in the backyard. The body was badly decomposed, WDHN reported. Deputies located the Halsteads in Jack, Alabama, and brought them back to Henry County.
While questioning the parents, investigators discovered Logan Halstead had special needs.
During a hearing Monday, investigators said Michael Halstead reportedly claimed he was in the home with Logan, who reportedly had spina bifida, when the teen had a bowel movement, per WDHN.
Michael Halstead allegedly left the room, and when he came back, he told investigators Logan wasn’t speaking and the father soon realized his son was dead.
He allegedly tried to hide the death from his wife and other sons by wrapping Logan up in various materials before he reportedly hid him in the freezer. Police said this event happened sometime in late July or Early August.
Michael Halstead reportedly didn’t want his family to know what happened.
The father of three allegedly moved his family off of the property and into a hotel room over the summer after Logan’s death, WDHN reported. The family, however, was allegedly evicted from the home for not paying rent.
The landlord sold the house to the current owners, who found the body on their property. Michael Halstead reportedly said his wife didn’t know he hid the body.
According to Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship, Michael Halstead called police back on October 11 to report he had hidden his son’s body. Officers allegedly searched the property at that time but didn’t find it. The new owners discovered the body on October 29.
The Halsteads could face more charges.
According to People, the couple is in custody at Henry County Jail and charged with abuse of a corpse. During a preliminary hearing on Monday, Judge James Peterson issued a $175,000 bond for each parent. Pending further investigation, the couple could face murder charges.
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The Henry County sheriff said the discovery was heartbreaking.
Blankenship said investigators are still working to determine Logan’s cause of death and whether the Halsteads will be charged with murder.
“This incident is a very tragic situation and our agency is committed to finding out the truth,” he shared in a statement on Facebook. “The investigation is still on going and information will continue to be released as the case progresses. The body of the deceased [has] has been transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an official autopsy.”