Arizona man accused of having 183 dead animals inside freezer

MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. (TCD) -- A 43-year-old man was arrested after authorities reportedly found approximately 183 frozen dead animals in his freezer.

According to a press release from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, on April 3, deputies responded to a home in the 3400 block of North Kaba Road to perform an animal welfare check. Someone from Phoenix reportedly called authorities and said that several dead animals had been found inside the freezer of Michael Patrick Turland’s garage.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the reporting party told authorities Turland was supposed to take her snakes for breeding purposes and then return them to her. However, after a few months, the person was reportedly unable to reach Turland to get her snakes back.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the reporting party contacted the property owner, who said Turland and his wife, Brooklyn Beck, "moved out of state and when they were cleaning the property, located the freezer full of dead animals in the garage."

Upon deputies’ arrival, authorities reportedly discovered 183 frozen animals of different breeds, including dogs, turtles, lizards, birds, snakes, mice, rats, and rabbits. According to the Sheriff’s Office, some of the located animals appeared to have been frozen alive due to their body pose. Authorities allegedly tried to contact Turland and his wife but were unsuccessful.

On Wednesday, April 13 at approximately 9:30 a.m., the Sheriff’s Office learned Turland was at the home, and authorities responded to the residence. Turland was reportedly taken into custody without incident.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Turland eventually admitted to freezing some of the animals alive. He was reportedly booked into the Mohave County Adult Detention Facility in Kingman.

The Sheriff’s Office says authorities are still trying to reach Turland’s wife. The investigation remains ongoing.

MORE: