Elderly woman found dead in freezer, Ind. roommate arrested

LaPORTE, Ind. - The roommate of an elderly northern Indiana woman whose body was found in a freezer has been arrested, reports CBS affiliate WSBT.

Daniel Shoffner, 47, is being held on a preliminary charge of murder pending further investigation, according to the station. Police were called to the shared LaPorte, Ind., home on Sunday and discovered the unidentified victim, a woman in her 70s, dead in a freezer.

The prosecutor in the case said a relative of the victim called 911 after reading a series of "strange notes" between Shoffner and the victim. He would not comment on what made officers decide to look in the freezer, but said the body was frozen solid and needs to thaw out before an autopsy can be performed to determine cause of death, WSBT reports.

One neighbor told the station he can't believe something so gruesome and tragic could happen in their neighborhood.

"I mean everything is safety for me and my family," Michael Emerson told WSBT. "There's so many crazy people out here that you don't know what's going to go on at any moment or any time and we've never had problems around her until this, now."

The prosecutor said he hopes to file charges against Shoffner by Tuesday. The station reports a motive is still under investigation.

According to online public records, the suspect has a rap sheet dating back to 2006, including charges of intimidation and battery.