AL-Parents Charged After New Property Owners Find Decomposing Body of Logan Michael Halstead, 19 in Backyard Freezer 29 Oct 2023

[tlcya]

The landlord sold the Halstead's house to the current homeowners in September. The new homeowners were cleaning their new property when they found the decomposed body.

Blankenship told WDHN the body has been in the freezer since late August.
[snip]
Blankenship told PEOPLE the deceased was receiving disability benefits due to his ongoing medical issues. These included spina bifida, reports WSFA.

Blankenship said the parents could face murder charges depending on the outcome of the autopsy.
Alabama Teen's Decomposed Body Found by New Homeowners in Backyard Freezer, Parents Arrested for Alleged Abuse

HENRY COUNTY, Ala. (WTVY) - Headland Police may have botched a death investigation several weeks before the discovery of a decomposed body.

According to sources, Michael Shane Halstead alerted those officers that he abandoned his son’s remains in a non-working freezer. Yet, officers failed to find them when they searched his former home, multiple sources confirm.
[snip]
on October 11, Halstead notified officers of what happened.

According to multiple sources, Headland police went to his previous residence along Henry County Road 13 and inspected the freezer. They failed to find Logan’s body that, according to court testimony, was shrouded in tarps and blankets, with the remains placed in a cardboard box.
Dead teen’s dad confessed weeks before his body was found: Sources

The parents were found in Jack, Alabama, about 50 miles from their former home. They were arrested, booked into jail and given $175,000 bonds, officials said.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article281252853.html

Parents charged after son's body found in backyard freezer by new homeowners: Cops

 

[iamshadow21]

The landlord sold the Halstead's house to the current homeowners in September. The new homeowners were cleaning their new property when they found the decomposed body.

Blankenship told WDHN the body has been in the freezer since late August.
[snip]
Blankenship told PEOPLE the deceased was receiving disability benefits due to his ongoing medical issues. These included spina bifida, reports WSFA.

Blankenship said the parents could face murder charges depending on the outcome of the autopsy.
Alabama Teen's Decomposed Body Found by New Homeowners in Backyard Freezer, Parents Arrested for Alleged Abuse

HENRY COUNTY, Ala. (WTVY) - Headland Police may have botched a death investigation several weeks before the discovery of a decomposed body.

According to sources, Michael Shane Halstead alerted those officers that he abandoned his son’s remains in a non-working freezer. Yet, officers failed to find them when they searched his former home, multiple sources confirm.
[snip]
on October 11, Halstead notified officers of what happened.

According to multiple sources, Headland police went to his previous residence along Henry County Road 13 and inspected the freezer. They failed to find Logan’s body that, according to court testimony, was shrouded in tarps and blankets, with the remains placed in a cardboard box.
Dead teen’s dad confessed weeks before his body was found: Sources

The parents were found in Jack, Alabama, about 50 miles from their former home. They were arrested, booked into jail and given $175,000 bonds, officials said.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article281252853.html

Parents charged after son's body found in backyard freezer by new homeowners: Cops

If they failed to find it the first time, why did they not go back with the father and get him to point to the spot?? If they can do it with serial killers, why couldn't they do it here? A young disabled man had to lie discarded like garbage for several more weeks, and the new owners had to experience finding his body, both of which could have been avoided without any great time, effort, or expense on the part of LE.

MOO

 

[killarney rose]

I was hoping this case would get posted here. Thank You. It’s obvious the police didn’t even do a cursory search for this young man.

NEW INFO: Father of teen found dead in freezer skipped court on previous wife abuse charges

HEADLAND, Ala. (WDHN) — A Henry County judge has issued a bond of $175,000 for a couple accused of putting the dead body of their special needs son in a freezer, where it wasn’t discovered un…

www.wdhn.com

 

[killarney rose]

Woman accused of stuffing son’s dead body in freezer wants bond amount lowered

HENRY COUNTY, Ala (WDHN)– A Headland woman accused of putting her son’s dead body in a freezer before moving to another county is claiming she can’t post her bail due to the high amount…

www.wdhn.com

 

[killarney rose]

Bond lowered.

New charges announced for parents accused of stuffing son’s body in freezer, bond lowered for mother

HENRY COUNTY, Ala (WDHN)– A couple accused of putting their special needs son’s dead body in a freezer before moving to another county is now facing an additional charge. During a hearing on …

www.wdhn.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Official complaint records filed in Henry County District Court say the Halstead couple are accused of causing the death of their son “by recklessly and consciously disregarding the treatment of Logan,” with the teen through previous testimony having already been known to have suffered ongoing medical issues, including spina bifida.

Alongside the new charges also came new bond amounts for the Halsteads, with a $100,000 bond for the new Reckless Manslaughter charge added to his previous $175,000 bond for Corpse Abuse, $275,000 in total.

Parents of teen found in freezer additionally charged in his death

Michael Shane Halstead and his wife Karen Halstead now each face one charge each of Reckless Manslaughter.

www.wtvy.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Lovely couple. They both (!) just shrugged off their son's death, stuck him in a freezer (to collect more of his benefits?), and carried on? Poor son, must have been so neglected and suffered a lot. IMO.

 

[killarney rose]

I can understand them being overwhelmed with their son’s care. But there were two of them. You don’t just contribute to your child’s death then stuff him in an unused appliance like garbage and move away.

 

[vls12345]

This article is from December but I don't see any updates for January.

Man accused of stuffing son’s body in freezer wants a lower bond

HENRY COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) — A man accused of recklessly causing the death of his 19-year-old son before stuffing his body in a broken freezer is asking for a lower bond so he can leave the Henry Cou…

www.wdhn.com

 

[c@tw0man]

I can understand them being overwhelmed with their son’s care. But there were two of them. You don’t just contribute to your child’s death then stuff him in an unused appliance like garbage and move away.

You do if the checks are more important than your son's life. They will get a visit from the Feds, no doubt.

 

[tlcya]

HENRY COUNTY, Ala. (WTVY) - Prosecutors suggested during a court hearing on Monday they believe that Michael Shane Halstead and his wife, Karen Halstead, continued to collect disability benefits for their disabled son after they disposed of his remains.
[snip]
After hearing testimony, Henry County District Judge Derek Peterson sent the charges facing the couple--Reckless Manslaughter and Corpse Abuse-- to a grand jury that meets this year.
Investigator believes couple concealed son’s death to continue receiving government benefits

LE believe Logan died in June. But mom's defense attorney is making the argument that due to Logan's diagnosis his life expectancy was 18 to 30 years old. So he made it to 19 - shrug. Disgusting people.

 

[tlcya]

The Halsteads were initially only charged with abuse of a corpse, but court documents claim a further investigation provided enough evidence to charge the couple with reckless manslaughter.

Micheal Halstead will be arraigned on July 12, and Karen will be arraigned on June 17. They have both bonded out of the Henry County Jail.
Couple indicted, accused of stuffing son’s dead body in freezer

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Karen Halstead is facing reckless manslaughter and corpse abuse in the death of her special needs son, 19-year-old Logan Michael Halstead.

In indictments filed in May 2024, prosecutors claimed Logan, who suffered from spinal bifida, died after being neglected. The indictments go on to say that after Logan was dead, his parents wrapped his dead body in plastic bags and blankets before stuffing him in a freezer.

The freezer and body were found in the backyard of a Headland trailer formally rented by the Halsteads in late October 2023.

Sheriff Eric Blankenship told WDHN it is believed Logan Halsead’s body was put in the freezer in late August 2023, not long before the Halstead family moved from Headland to Jack, Alabama. The new renters found the body while cleaning the property.

Karen Halstead was originally arrested and charged alongside her husband, Michael. However, Michael died while out on bond in early July

https://www.wdhn.com/news/crime/high-profile-wiregrass-cases-heading-for-trial-in-2025/