Son dismembers and burns his dad — then mom helps hide evidence, Arizona cops say

A 32-year-old Arizona man killed his father, then dismembered and burned his body following a fight, police said.

The man fled Casa Grande firefighters responding to the blaze, then held three people at gunpoint before surrendering to police, officers said in a news release.

His 56-year-old mother is accused of helping him conceal evidence, police said.

Christopher Lawrence Chase shot and killed his father, Thomas Chase, 57, after a physical confrontation at their home at 1:43 a.m. Monday, July 24, police said.

He dismembered his father’s body and burned it in a 55-gallon metal drum, police said.

When firefighters arrived to douse the blaze, they spotted Christopher Chase running from the home and yelled at him to stop, but he fled, police said.

He held two men and a woman at gunpoint at a nearby home and demanded keys to their vehicle, police said.

About 30 minutes after fleeing firefighters, Christopher Chase called 911 to confess to burning a body and surrendered to police, the release said. None of the others in the home were injured.

He faces charges including murder, abandonment or concealment of a dead body, kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary and tampering with evidence, police said.

His mother faces charges including abandonment or concealment of a dead body and tampering with evidence, police said.

Casa Grande is about 50 miles southeast of Phoenix.

This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Son dismembers and burns his dad — then mom helps hide evidence, Arizona cops say."