A woman in Alaska allegedly kept her husband’s body inside a locked freezer for up to seven years while continuing to claim government benefits in his name, according to investigators.
The remains of Ross Pasquan, who would have been 74, were discovered by relatives inside a chest freezer in a locked shed at his former home in Juneau on July 19.
Police said the family members had been clearing out the property following the death of Pasquan’s wife, Sheryl Ann McDonald-Pasquan, who died of natural causes in June 2025.
According to investigators, Pasquan’s body was wrapped in a tarp and stored inside the freezer. He was believed to have died of natural causes, although authorities could not determine exactly when his body was placed in the freezer.
Investigators said he could have been there since 2018.
McDonald-Pasquan allegedly continued applying for benefits under her husband’s name until her own death, potentially receiving payments for as long as seven years after his death.
The payments reportedly included Social Security benefits, Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend cheques and retirement benefits.
Investigators believe McDonald-Pasquan acted alone to conceal her husband’s death and found no evidence that anyone else was involved in the alleged scheme.
Witnesses reportedly told investigators that McDonald-Pasquan had been her husband’s primary caregiver due to his history of serious health problems.
They also said she had told relatives that Pasquan had been moved to a care home outside Juneau, explaining his disappearance.
The Juneau Police Department said officers were called to a property on Glacier Highway on July 19, 2026, after a family member reported finding what appeared to be human remains inside a chest freezer in a locked outbuilding.
The investigation was subsequently closed following McDonald-Pasquan’s death.
The case bears similarities to another recent incident in the UK, where a 60-year-old man pleaded guilty to keeping his elderly mother’s body in a chest freezer for more than two years while accessing her pension and savings.
Authorities discovered the body of retired company secretary Sylvia Phillips at her home in Porthcawl, South Wales, after her doctor requested a welfare check.
Her son, Christopher Phillips, was later arrested and pleaded guilty to preventing the decent and lawful burial of his mother.
