Woman Found Dead In San Diego Freezer Identified

SAN DIEGO, CA — A body found in a San Diego freezer last month was that of a woman who may have been missing or dead for up to nine years, authorities said this week.

Out-of-town family members found the body on Dec. 22 inside a chest-style, working freezer at a home in the 4900 block of Zion Avenue in the Allied Gardens neighborhood of San Diego, according to the San Diego Police Department.

Police on Thursday identified the woman as Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones, who would have been 81 years old when her remains were found. The cause of her death remains under investigation, but "no obvious traumatic injury to the body was noted," San Diego police Lt. Jud Campbell said.

Detectives believe Haxby-Jones may have been missing or dead for up to nine years, Campbell said.

"As far as we know, she was never reported missing," he told Patch.

Haxby-Jones is believed to have lived at the home at some point, he added.

"As far as her relationship to the house and its current residents, that is part of the ongoing investigation," Campbell said.

Detectives want to speak with anyone with information about the case. Anyone with information was asked to call the homicide unit at 619-531-2293 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.