By The Associated Press
A judge on Tuesday sentenced to prison a Michigan man who kept his wife's body in a freezer for months.
Isabella County Circuit Judge Mark Duthie sentenced Terrell York to between two and eight years in prison, exceeding guidelines ranging from zero to 12 months, MLive.com reported. Duthie told York in court that the facts of his case were "horrific," and that family and friends deserve closure when a person dies.
"A person's body after death should be treated with dignity," Dutchie said. "He should be treated with respect. It shouldn't be put in a freezer like a piece of meat. Their conduct is outrageous."
York declined to speak during his sentencing.
Sheriff's deputies found the body of 67-year-old Patricia York in a refrigerator at a Township Deerfield home she shared with York last April. Deputies searched the home after Patricia York's daughter called authorities and said she hadn't heard from her mother in two years.
[Who is 'El Plaga,' the Mexican drug lord who claims to be free in an interview while the government says he is in prison]
Initially, York told deputies that his wife had moved and was living with his family in Newago, Michigan. He later assured investigators that he had died of natural causes in September 2022, but did not tell anyone and kept the body in the freezer.
Isabella County District Attorney David Barberi said investigators were unable to determine Patricia's cause of death. He said York didn't report his death because he wanted to keep cashing his Social Security checks. Deputies wrote that he spent his benefits on food and bills.
[Latino shot dead in Phoenix: Family suspects hate crime]
Ann Chamberlain, Terrell York's attorney, testified during the sentencing that both Yorks were dealing with medical issues. Terrell York lost his job because of them, he said.
"It's unfortunate and he's still grieving the situation," he said.