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Coroner confirms dismembered, headless body found inside freezer in New Orleans is missing woman
NEW ORLEANS - A man is in jail Wednesday morning after police found a dismembered body in a freezer on his property in a residential, 9th Ward neighborhood.
Benjamin Beale, 34, was arrested and booked into the Orleans Parish Jail overnight on a slew of charges, including obstruction of justice.
New Orleans Police say officers executed a search warrant in the 2200 block of Pauline Street just before noon on Tuesday related to the disappearance of a woman named Julia Dardar. She has been missing since at least November of 2021 when the report was filed.
During the search, authorities found a headless human torso in a freezer that was located inside of a bus parked on the property of the Pauline Street home. According to WWL-TV, the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office confirmed Dardar was the woman in the freezer.
The coroner's report said Dardar died from "blunt force injuries to the head and neck as well as asphyxia due to manual strangulation."
Pictures of inside the bus were found on Beale's social media accounts before they were deleted after he was arrested.
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NOPD initially referred to the findings as "what appeared to be human remains," as they were reportedly difficult to identify.
Officials couldn't confirm the identity of the person who was killed while on the scene, but expect to soon learn the identity and how the victim was killed as this investigation unfolds.
Police say Beale did not comply with their investigation and was taken to NOPD Headquarters for questioning, where he refused to provide a statement.
Beale was booked into the Orleans Parish Jail overnight on an obstruction of justice charge and various drug and weapon-related charges. His total bond was set at $400,000.
This is an ongoing investigation and developing story. Check back for updates.
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