Lancaster man arrested for murder weeks after wrapped body found on side of road
A Lancaster man has been arrested for murder in connection with a body that was found wrapped up on the side of a road in November.
The body, which was identified as 42-year-old Iesha Massey by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, was found in the morning on Nov. 19 near Challenger Avenue and Avenue E-8, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at the time.
Deputies said that Massey's body was found wrapped in an unidentified material and disposed of on the side of the road. It was discovered by street cleaners who were walking along the street. She was previously reported missing by family members on Oct. 16, 2025, more than a month before the day her body was found.
On Wednesday, they announced that a man had been arrested for Massey's alleged murder. He was identified as 56-year-old Michael Lloyd Bates Jr. He was taken into custody in Lancaster on Sunday.
He remains behind bars on $2 million bail with one count of murder, deputies said.
LASD detectives told CBS News Los Angeles that Massey and Bates had dated in the past, but it was unclear if they were in a relationship at the time that she was killed.
Anyone with additional information was asked to contact the department's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.
