NEW ORLEANS — Benjamin Beale has been arrested and booked in the case of the death of a woman in the Florida area of New Orleans, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
Police said 34-year-old Beale will be booked on a charge of second-degree murder after the discovery of the woman, believed to be 36-year-old Julia Dardar, in the 2300 block of Pauline Street.
The NOPD said Dardar was reported missing on Dec. 23 by her ex-husband who said she had moved in with Beale. Previous reports from NOPD said Beale stated he had not seen Dardar since Dec. 16 and said she was suicidal and had moved out but left all of her belongings and car behind.
Officers received a warrant to search Beale's home on Jan. 11 just after 11:50 a.m. NOPD said they found what appeared to be human remains on the scene.
The remains were found inside of a deep freezer on the home's property. Police said a number of extension cords led from the back of the house to a padlocked Chevrolet bus in the backyard.
“Upon opening the lid of the freezer, investigators observed the headless torso of what appeared to be an adult human female,” arrest records say.
The police report also said officers found an electric saw inside an ice chest “which appeared to have bits of flesh and fluid on the blade surface" along with a plastic face shield, goggles and garbage bags near the freezer.
Beale was originally booked at the Orleans Parish Justice Center on a charge of obstruction of justice of a death investigation.