87-Year-Old Woman's Body Found Inside Freezer at Her California Home; Authorities Questioned Daughter

After a relative summoned cops to conduct a welfare check, the body of an 87-year-old woman was found inside a freezer at her California home. The discovery led the authorities to question the victim's daughter, police said.

California Woman's Body Inside a Freezer

Based on the report of The Press-Enterprise, a relative identified the 87-year-old California woman as Miriam Travis. Travis was a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department homicide detective.

According to New York Post, Riverside Police Officer Javier Cabrera confirmed that a relative of Travis requested to conduct a welfare check at the home of the victim on New Ridge Drive early Sunday. During the interview, Travis' daughter gave inconsistent statements regarding her mother's whereabouts, which prompted the cops to search the "disheveled" home that had a foul odor.

While searching the California home, the Riverside Police Officers found Travis' body inside a working freezer in her garage. The condition of her body was not clear, but it was forwarded for an autopsy right away to determine the cause of her death.

The daughter of Travis, who was not identified by Riverside authorities, was questioned by cops. However, she was later released because detectives needed to determine how her mother died and if she had any role in the handling of the dead woman's body.

Meanwhile, the victim was identified by Kerri Nickell of Oklahoma, who said Travis was her step-grandmother.

The spokeswoman from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed Travis's contribution to the department. Travis worked as a sergeant in the homicide bureau at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 11 years. She started working in the Sheriff's department from 1979 until she retired in 1990.

Inconsistency in Daughter's Story

In 1990, Travis and her husband moved to Riverside after she retired. Her step-granddaughter stated that Travis' husband died two years after the move that they made, but the death of her husband prompted Travis to change the locks on her home in Riverside and cut off any contact with any member of her extended family.

It was like this is my grandmother one day, and then we never heard from her again," Nickell added.

The Riverside police officer 64-year-old daughter of Travis lived with her mother. She initially told cops her mother wasn't home, but inconsistencies in her account led officers to search the residence.

"At this moment, as we wait for the autopsy report, she is not a suspect. She is a person of interest," Cabrera said.

Furthermore, an autopsy is expected to be completed within a few days.

On the other hand, a relative shared that they hadn't heard from the elderly woman in two months.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written By: Jess Smith

WATCH: Investigation underway after woman's body found inside garage refrigerator in Riverside | ABC7