96-year-old woman found dead in freezer, and daughter is charged, Illinois reports say

A 96-year-old woman was found dead in a freezer, and now her daughter is charged with concealing the death, according to Illinois news reports.

Regina Michalski’s body was found in a garage freezer on Monday, Jan. 30, after the woman’s granddaughter requested a well-being check, WBBM reported.

Sabrina Watson said she had thought her grandmother died years go, WGN reported, but on Monday, a “gut feeling” had her convinced something wasn’t right.

“I couldn’t find her,” Watson told the Chicago TV station. “No record of her being buried or a memorial online or anything like that, so I knew her body was somewhere, it was somewhere, and it wasn’t in the ground.”

In a news release, the Chicago Police Department confirmed a 96-year-old woman was found dead at a Chicago home.

Eva Bratcher, 69, “was identified as the offender who concealed the death ... and moved the victim’s body after death,” authorities said.

Watson said Bratcher is her estranged mother, according to WBBM.

“It started off with a wellness check and it ended with someone being found in the freezer,” Watson told WLS.

Bratcher, of Chicago, was charged with concealing death/moving a body and possessing a fraudulent ID card, police said. Both charges are felonies.

Authorities have not released a cause of death or said how long Michalski has been dead. An investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published February 2, 2023 at 8:45 AM with the headline "96-year-old woman found dead in freezer, and daughter is charged, Illinois reports say."