The body of an elderly woman was discovered in a freezer Thursday morning at a residence in Rapid Valley, according to the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s deputies found the body after responding to a residence in the 3100 block of Obrien St. for a possible missing-person call related to an ongoing fraud investigation, said a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Kevin Thom said in a Journal interview that the fraud investigation was being conducted by an agency other than his own.
The deputies arrived on the scene at about 10 a.m. Thom said the call came from people at the residence, but investigators do not believe the woman’s death occurred there. No arrests had been made as of Thursday afternoon.
“The investigation now continues to confirm the identity of the woman and the circumstances surrounding her death,” the news release said. “It is believed the body may have been transported from out of state prior to its discovery this morning.”
Investigators were still at the scene Thursday afternoon. The Sheriff’s Office said it is handling the investigation in cooperation with the Rapid City Police Department.
Thom said he could not yet release any further information.
