California woman found dead in freezer identified as former Los Angeles sheriff’s sergeant

An 87-year-old woman who was found dead in a freezer in the California home she shared with her adult daughter was identified Tuesday as a 27-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Miriam Travis, who retired in 1990 as a sergeant with the homicide bureau, was found dead Sunday after relatives on the east coast called for a welfare check, saying they hadn’t heard from her in months, according to KTLA.

When police responded to the Riverside home, they encountered Travis’ daughter, who gave “inconsistent” answers about her mother’s whereabouts. That’s when officers searched the place and found Travis’ body in a cooler in the garage.

“Our hearts are broken by this news and the entire LASD family mourns her loss,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a statement Tuesday.

It’s still unclear how Travis died or how long she had been in the freezer.

Her daughter, 64, was interviewed and released Monday but charges are still possible after an autopsy and as the investigation continues.