Minnesota man found dead in freezer was hiding from police, investigators say

Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
30

A Minnesota man who was found dead inside a freezer in the basement of his home was last seen hiding from police, investigators found.

The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office in Ramsey, a little more than 25 miles northwest of Minneapolis, identified the man as Brandon Lee Buschman, 34. The examiner's office said there was no evidence of trauma or injury found during the autopsy, the Gilbert Police Department said in a news release Friday.

On June 26, Gilbert police responded to a report around 3:30 p.m. local time of a deceased man found inside the freezer in Biwabik, Minnesota, Gilbert police said.

“The chest freezer was an older model with a latching mechanism on the outside of the freezer,” Gilbert police said in the news release. “When closed, the freezer is not capable of being pushed open from inside.”

Police said the freezer was not on at the time the body was discovered and the home had not been occupied since February 2023.

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Buschman was last seen fleeing from police, people who knew him said

After interviewing several people who knew Buschman – who had an active outstanding warrant for his arrest – investigators said he was last seen “fleeing from the upstairs area of the house” due to a possible police presence near the home, according to people who knew him.

“Evidence on scene indicates that Bushman entered the freezer on his own accord,” police said. “Investigators are continuing to narrow down the timeline regarding the last time that Buschman was seen alive.”

Investigators found a metal rod inserted from inside the freezer towards the latching mechanism, which was jammed between the gasket and manufactured edge, which prevented the rod from being able to open the latch from the inside.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, the East Range Police Department, the Chisholm Police Department and the Babbitt Police Department assisted in the investigation.

The final autopsy reports will be released in several weeks, police said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Minnesota man found dead in freezer was hiding from police in Biwabik