Portland man faces felony charge after police find mother’s body stored in a refrigerator

Allegations stem from welfare check at Northeast Portland apartment

A 68-year-old Portland man has been charged with second-degree abuse of a corpse after police said they found his mother’s body stored inside a refrigerator during a welfare check in Northeast Portland.

The arrest followed a report from a family member who contacted police after learning that the man’s 104-year-old mother had died. Court filings describe concerns that the death was not being reported and that the body would be concealed in order to continue receiving benefits payments.

Timeline described in court filings

• January 21, 2026: Police responded to an apartment in the 1500 block of Northeast 28th Avenue to conduct a welfare check after being contacted by a relative.

• At the residence, the man initially told an officer a welfare check was unnecessary. When asked about his mother, he indicated she was “not OK” and said she was inside an “ice chest,” later pointing to a refrigerator inside the apartment.

• An officer opened the refrigerator and confirmed a body inside, as described in the probable-cause affidavit.

• The man told investigators his mother had died on January 19, 2026, and that he moved her body into the refrigerator to prevent odor. The documents also describe him stating he measured her body to ensure it would fit.

• January 23, 2026: Court records were filed in Multnomah County in support of continued detention.

The case is being handled in Multnomah County court, where filings outline the statements attributed to the suspect and the sequence of events that led police to the refrigerator.

Charge filed and what it means

Prosecutors charged the man with abuse of a corpse in the second degree, a Class C felony under Oregon law. The statute covers intentionally abusing a corpse or removing or carrying away a corpse, and also defines “abuse of a corpse” to include treatment not recognized by generally accepted community standards.

Benefits-related statements included in the affidavit

In the court filings, the man is described as telling investigators that he was not his mother’s legal guardian and did not have power of attorney. He is also described as stating he kept both his own and his mother’s Social Security checks because he feared becoming homeless and believed payments would stop if her death was reported.

As of the most recent court filings available, no additional charges were listed beyond the abuse-of-a-corpse count, and it was not yet clear whether the defendant had entered a plea or obtained legal representation.