Landlord Found Dead In Freezer, Tenant In Custody: Chicago Police

CHICAGO, IL — A landlord was found dead in a freezer in her far north side home and a tenant who also lived at the house is suspected in the killing, according to Chicago police.

The events that led to the discovery began around 7 p.m. Monday, when a resident called police to report that they hadn’t seen the home’s owner, who rented rooms to tenants, for about a day, law enforcement said. The caller told police there was a tenant who had been living at the home in the 5900 block of North Washtenaw Avenue who the other residents feared and that the tenant had called a tow truck before leaving the house with a heavy bag, according to authorities.

The tenant dumped the bag several miles away, in a garbage can at Foster Beach, where detectives found bloody towels, police said. Back at the house near West Ridge Nature Park, the landlord’s remains were discovered inside a freezer, according to police, who noted that the tenant had pulled a knife on the tow truck driver. The tenant was in custody as of Tuesday morning, police said.

In addition to the bloody towels, remains that were not human were found in the garbage can, according to WLS.

The landlord was a 55-year-old woman, NBC 5 reported. She was active in the local community, played piano at area churches, had a beloved dog and offered shelter for women in need, according to WLS.

"It's really devastating,” Raymond Truong, who lives in the neighborhood, told WLS. “I even had a hard time coming home last night. I stayed at my friend's house. I felt safer with his parents and stuff.”