FAIRVIEW, Tenn. (WTVF) — Three people have been charged after a man was found dead inside a freezer at a home in Fairview Sunday afternoon.
Fairview police officers were sent to a home in the 7300 block of Shayla Court around 5:16 p.m. in response to a domestic dispute, according to a criminal complaint affidavit filed by the Fairview Police Department.
A witness who reported the incident to law enforcement told officers that suspect Michael Charles Lee and victim Sean Carr had a verbal dispute prior to Carr's death. Additionally, the caller said a body was in a freezer inside the home on Shayla Court.
The witness was informed of Carr's death after returning home from work and was told by Mr. Lee and Mrs. Angeline Denise Lee that Carr's body was "in the tall freezer downstairs," according to the affidavit. Investigators were informed by the witness that there had been an extensive history of abuse between Mr. Lee and Carr.
An officer at the scene found two white freezers in the basement during their initial search. The affidavit states that after Mr, Lee was read his Miranda rights, he told the officer he "did not mean to do it and he is a good person." Each of the people in the home were then detained for a possible homicide investigation.
A discussion between Mr. Lee and the investigating officer revealed he put a ball inside a sock and hit Carr multiple times. After Carr "went down" following the final blow, according to Mr. Lee, he unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate the victim.
Mr. Lee then told investigators that he wrapped Carr's body in plastic and placed him in the freezer to "protect his family." He also threw the sock and ball in one of the trash cans in the home.
Mrs. Lee said Carr had been "disrespecting her" prior to the attack. When Mr. Lee told Mrs. Lee he believed he had killed Carr, Mrs. Lee said she "shut down" but told the investigators, "looking back, I should have called 911."
"Everybody here is you know, everybody that I've talked to that lives here is shocked. And this is Hometown USA here," said Tracy Donegan who lives nearby.
People in the community telling us things like this don't happen here.
"Nothing ever happens here. Everything is just really just super quiet and just a really nice place to live. And when we heard you know about the news of the body and everything we just, you know, we're really amazed that it could happen here."
Donegan says this incident doesn't change the heart of Fairview.
"It's still Fairview and you know; I find things like this happen everywhere. But you know, they are rare in Fairview. We have a good police force here and like take care of the community really well."
Michael C. Lee, 53, is charged with criminal homicide and is being held on a $2 million bond.
Angeline D. Lee, 53, is charged with felony accessory after the fact and is being held on $350,000 bond.
Dennis M. Carr Lee, 22, is also charged with felony accessory after the fact and is being held on $350,000 bond.
