Identified! CA - Out-of-town family finds unidentified body in freezer of home they were staying at - Dec 23, 2023 - Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones

[Ninety5rpm]

In the article it claims that Mary at some point gifted husband Robert the property yet this tax bill that is from the story says the house is in Mary's name.

It’s the separate property in Clairemont that was gifted to Robert. The Allied Gardens home where her body was found is still in her name.

Also new (to me) is that the cars parked in the front yard haven’t been registered in years. The Prius not since 2015. The pickup 2022.

And neighbors report mail for Robert is still delivered to the AG house.

So many questions:
1) who lives and has been living at the house? Who were the out of town family visiting? Does anyone live in the Clairemont house? Is anyone at either house paying rent? To whom?

2) Did Mary have a will? Who inherits the house upon her death?

3) What was happening with Mary’s social security? Pension? What bank accounts? Who was spending it?

After almost three months it’s frustrating these basic questions remain unanswered.

 

[Curious Me]

Just today Fox5 put this out but it contains nothing pertaining to who done it.

She was found dead in a San Diego freezer. What is known about her life

Ever since her body was found in a freezer last year, the suspicious death of Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones has been shrouded in a series of unanswered questions: Who was she? Where was she last seen? …

fox5sandiego.com

Thank You, @Izzylizzy. An excellent report on everything pertaining to the mystery except the answers to the mystery.

911 Calls to the home over the years are what I'd consider above normal. There was an overdose call once. Yet, when Mary Margaret died apparently there was no 911 call.

Somebody's living in that house now, and the property taxes are due. I suspect the person living there was there with the body in the freezer. WTH do you say to deny involvement or knowledge? Sounds like "they can't prove nothing".

Now that she's been declared deceased everything is about to change. What will happen next?​

 

[Curious Me]

Not available in the uk, anything worthy that we don't already know?

It's been 77 days now (I think, have had a couple wines now lol) I check in here every day and seeing absolutely nothing makes me so blooming mad for Mary. She did not crawl into this freezer herself.​

I found the video for you, @dalsglen.

They tried to knock on the door, as someone's living there, but no one will answer the door. I got some screen shots from the video.​

She was found dead in a San Diego freezer. What is known about her life

Ever since her body was found in a freezer last year, the suspicious death of Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones has been shrouded in a series of unanswered questions: Who was she? Where was she last seen? …

fox5sandiego.com

Through the city, Winkley found records of 20 calls for service to Haxby-Jones’ home address since 2013 — the year before authorities believe she may have gone missing.

“There have been reported elder abuse calls, there have been several ‘check the welfare’ calls, mental health-related calls, an overdose call,” she explained. “So it’s really unclear how those calls may have relate — if at all — to the discovery of Mary Haxby-Jones.”

This is the video included in the article.
Suspicious death investigation

​

 

[dalsglen]

Thank you so much @Curious Me

The only way I can think that something won't happen with this case is that the other person living there may have dementia or some such ailment.

 

[Curious Me]

Thank you so much @Curious Me
The only way I can think that something won't happen with this case is that the other person living there may have dementia or some such ailment.

@dalsglen, I can tell you care and would like answers for Mary Margaret's sake. I agree that the person living there then, and probably now, is "not fully able". I doubt it could be full blown dementia though to keep going at all without a big mishap, or constant caregiver seems unlikely, but yes some kind of limiting condition.

The video shows the changes the house went though. It shows a decline maybe revealing the decline of the person(s) living there were going through.

MOO and thoughts here-- Just trying to imagine if the person in that house now needs more help, if anyone will step in to help them. That driveway alone looks dangerous. Plenty of elderly people don't have family involved that much in their lives. Could be a stubborn man insisting he doesn't need help. ​

"...found records of 20 calls for service to Haxby-Jones’ home address since 2013 — the year before authorities believe she may have gone missing."

What do you think of the 20 calls made for assistance from 2013 to 2023? Once Mary was gone, perhaps in 2014, then who was calling for assistance? Was it the person living there? Sometimes was it family from afar wanting a welfare check?

From a year before Mary went missing there were some calls made to 911, then Mary may have gone missing in 2014. How many calls were there in that time period when Mary may have been alive?

Then the 911 calls continued from 2014. Total calls add up too 20 calls from 2013 to 2023? My question is-- how many of those calls happened before 2014, before she went missing? When was the overdose call made? The calls must've been pertaining to someone else after Mary was gone.

MOO, don't know why the investigation seems stalled, but figure that LE has to prove there was criminal behavior. The Lt. doesn't sound like it will happen anytime soon.




In the video-- I guess that was Lt. Campbell saying "This is not the time to speculate about charges or whatever. I anticipate if we uncover criminal behavior or criminal activity and we can substantiate it, then, we'll take it forward to the District Attorney.

From the article -- “This investigation will continue until we feel like we have a comprehensive understanding of what happened to Ms. Haxby-Jones,” said Lt. Campbell. “We are and we have talked to anyone and everyone who could provide context.”

She was found dead in a San Diego freezer. What is known about her life

Ever since her body was found in a freezer last year, the suspicious death of Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones has been shrouded in a series of unanswered questions: Who was she? Where was she last seen? …

fox5sandiego.com

​

 

[HMSHood]

What a bizarre case. Makes you wonder how long Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones had been dead for or how she died.

 

[Cedars]

The only way I can think that something won't happen with this case is that the other person living there may have dementia or some such ailment.

IMO, if police had proof that someone committed a crime before they had dementia, prosecutors would lay charges, and leave it up to the defense to prove dementia, ie unfit to stand trial.

an example: Massive tax fraud committed over several decades, lawyers argued the billionaire had dementia, judge ruled diagnosis was faked, but defendent died of unknown causes before the trial.

Robert Brockman, billionaire charged in tax evasion case, dies at 81

A trial was set for February even though Brockman’s attorneys had argued he had dementia and was incompetent to stand trial. He had pleaded not guilty.

www.nbcnews.com

If police somehow knew for sure that someone committed a crime while they had dementia, in that case prosecutors might not lay charges.

JMO

 

[Charlot123]

IMO, if police had proof that someone committed a crime before they had dementia, prosecutors would lay charges, and leave it up to the defense to prove dementia, ie unfit to stand trial.

an example: Massive tax fraud committed over several decades, lawyers argued the billionaire had dementia, judge ruled diagnosis was faked, but defendent died of unknown causes before the trial.

Robert Brockman, billionaire charged in tax evasion case, dies at 81

A trial was set for February even though Brockman’s attorneys had argued he had dementia and was incompetent to stand trial. He had pleaded not guilty.

www.nbcnews.com

If police somehow knew for sure that someone committed a crime while they had dementia, in that case prosecutors might not lay charges.

JMO

It is always shocking, demented enough to forget that he left a partner in the freezer, and yet, lucid enough to remember to cash her SSI checks.

 

[Curious Me]

...lucid enough to remember to cash her SSI checks.

I understand what you're saying. Yes, he had to have awareness. However, if he could withdraw funds out of her accts. that would be the only effort he'd probably need to make. That, and paying the property tax, and bills. Yes, probably using some of her money like you say. LE would know that already I bet.

Just so you know, as you may not be retired yet, he probably didn't have to cash actual checks. Most retirees get their Social Security benefits through a Direct Deposit, not checks. It's very automatic once they start being deposited, and wouldn't have required any effort to arrive in her bank acct. every mo. like clockwork. ​

More than 98 percent of individuals receive their monthly benefit payments electronically—either by direct deposit or on their Direct Express® Debit Mastercard®. They don’t have to wait for a check to arrive in the mail and go to a bank or other location to cash it.​

Many here might not be retired yet, so I'll add some misc. info. We know Mary might've served in the military and also worked after that. It'd be SSA retirement benefits she was getting. Mary Margaret worked all her life and wouldn't be getting SSI. (SSI is not work related, and is considered by the SSA as “an assistance source of last resort.” and SSDI is disability benefits.)

I don't know anything about whether or how military retirement benefits work. As for her SSA benefits, not sure, but I'd surmise that her retirement benefits were most likely already set up before she died to be direct deposited every month. You can have an online SSA email account, and if you wish to change bank accts. you can even do that online, but not sure if Mary had that kind of SSA online log in set up. I imagine Mary Margaret was getting a good amount of retirement funds. I wonder if she had life insurance policies.​

 

[whiterhino]

@dalsglen, I can tell you care and would like answers for Mary Margaret's sake. I agree that the person living there then, and probably now, is "not fully able". I doubt it could be full blown dementia though to keep going at all without a big mishap, or constant caregiver seems unlikely, but yes some kind of limiting condition.

The video shows the changes the house went though. It shows a decline maybe revealing the decline of the person(s) living there were going through.

MOO and thoughts here-- Just trying to imagine if the person in that house now needs more help, if anyone will step in to help them. That driveway alone looks dangerous. Plenty of elderly people don't have family involved that much in their lives. Could be a stubborn man insisting he doesn't need help.

What do you think of the 20 calls made for assistance from 2013 to 2023? Once Mary was gone, perhaps in 2014, then who was calling for assistance? Was it the person living there? Sometimes was it family from afar wanting a welfare check?

From a year before Mary went missing there were some calls made to 911, then Mary may have gone missing in 2014. How many calls were there in that time period when Mary may have been alive?

Then the 911 calls continued from 2014. Total calls add up too 20 calls from 2013 to 2023? My question is-- how many of those calls happened before 2014, before she went missing? When was the overdose call made? The calls must've been pertaining to someone else after Mary was gone.

MOO, don't know why the investigation seems stalled, but figure that LE has to prove there was criminal behavior. The Lt. doesn't sound like it will happen anytime soon.

View attachment 489504
View attachment 489505

In the video-- I guess that was Lt. Campbell saying "This is not the time to speculate about charges or whatever. I anticipate if we uncover criminal behavior or criminal activity and we can substantiate it, then, we'll take it forward to the District Attorney.

From the article -- “This investigation will continue until we feel like we have a comprehensive understanding of what happened to Ms. Haxby-Jones,” said Lt. Campbell. “We are and we have talked to anyone and everyone who could provide context.”

She was found dead in a San Diego freezer. What is known about her life

Ever since her body was found in a freezer last year, the suspicious death of Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones has been shrouded in a series of unanswered questions: Who was she? Where was she last seen? …

fox5sandiego.com

​

RBBM: This is what I asked on page one!!!!!!

How does one have such a severe ailment that they forget there is a body in the house but they have the wherewithall to maintain the basics such as utilities, banking, groceries etc...? Not to mention they had the sense to put the body in the freezer

Is it possible that Mary and her "housemate" were BOTH being somewhat neglected? Idk why I expected to come in this thread and find it would suddenly make sense... JMO.

 

[Laughing]

My bank billpay has an automatic payment option -- you can set mortgage payment frequency & amount, for example.

Were the utilities, taxes, set up one some sort of auto-pay years ago? As long as the direct deposit of benefits continues -- the bills are paid.

If there is a mortgage -- the taxes & homeowner's insurance are included in the payment & then paid by the mortgage company, at least as far as I know -- escrow account.

Guessing, of course.

jmho ymmv lrr

 

[CuriousCricket]

RBBM: This is what I asked on page one!!!!!!

How does one have such a severe ailment that they forget there is a body in the house but they have the wherewithall to maintain the basics such as utilities, banking, groceries etc...? Not to mention they had the sense to put the body in the freezer

Is it possible that Mary and her "housemate" were BOTH being somewhat neglected? Idk why I expected to come in this thread and find it would suddenly make sense... JMO.

I think it makes sense. Over a lifetime, families drift apart. Mary was military and because military personnel are moved about so often, the separation from family is vey often one result. After retirement, Mary made a life for herself in San Diego and wasn't close. Nine or 10 years ago, life was very doable -- a home and enough income. Then Mary died. Let's hope it was natural causes. A good chunk of the income was her retirement. Now gone. The house was in Mary's name, so whoever inherited would surely insist Mary's housemate(s) relocate. Without Mary's income and without the house, life would become very difficult for her housemate(s).

Mary was popped into the freezer instead of family or any official agencies being notified of Mary's death. If anyone had ever asked, Mary would have just gone on a little visit to family back in so-and-so or a little trip with work friends, etc.

For the housemate's family, perhaps the story was that they had separated and Mary moved out.

The household income remained level and was deposited directly into the bank. Bills were all set up for automatic pay. Well, except taxes, car tags, groceries.

I wonder if over the course of nine years if a person would not almost forget the body in the freezer . . . .

The housemate(s) may continue cooking for themselves or as age advances may perhaps accept programs like "Meal on Wheels" or whatever the equivalent is there in San Diego. After nine years of aging, the family came to check on Mary's housemate(s) and discovered Mary.

And housemate(s) may no longer recall exactly what happened.

 

[Cedars]

I wonder if over the course of nine years if a person would not almost forget the body in the freezer . . . .

IDK, I'm more cynical.

I think such a person might try to forget the body in the freezer, but Mary would haunt them. They would be trapped, unable to leave the house for long.

Curiously, there was a case I followed where a person was disappeared in order to keep the benefits without the caregiving, and the murderers got away with.it for decades, but became severe hoarders.

JMO

 

[Angelcat13]

Thank you so much @Curious Me

The only way I can think that something won't happen with this case is that the other person living there may have dementia or some such ailment.

One post made me think (hope) that maybe Mary died of natural causes and Robert (her beloved husband) couldn’t let go of her, yet - possibly because of the era he grew up in - was practical enough to know he needed her SS or other income, so he hid her body and pretended she was still alive.

Then a post about elder abuse, an overdose and other frequent police responses to the home, made me think it was more of a adult child or some other relative who abused Mary and profited from pretending she was still alive - but all out of greed.

And then this post about the person responsible for putting the body in the freezer possibly having dementia helps me hope that even though putting a body in a freezer is WRONG, it doesn’t have to mean that it was EVIL.

 

[Curious Me]

The thread doesn't have Mary Margaret's name on it, and though she was forgotten for many, many years, we now know her name and honor her memory on this thread. Just revisiting some posts to keep interest in this case strong while we wait for any updates. Will we get the story of how she ended up in that freezer and if there was a nefarious reason? ​

Older articles now. It may take some time for the investigation, but I hope we eventually find out how Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones ended up in that freezer. ​

What San Diego police haven't said about the body in the freezer in Allied Gardens

San Diego police investigation could be compromised if they answer some questions about the case.

www.nbcsandiego.com

Nobody heard from her for 9 years. Then her body was found in a freezer

In December, Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones' body was found in a chest freezer at a home where she once lived. Police are trying to figure out what happened.

www.latimes.com

Police ID body found in Allied Gardens freezer, believe woman was missing for 9 years

San Diego Police have identified a woman found dead inside a freezer in Allied Gardens in late December.

www.10news.com

One woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, told ABC 10News she knew the woman, but couldn’t remember the last time she was here. She described Mary as a homebody.

“I used to say 'Good morning Mary, hello Mary, goodbye Mary.' That’s it,” said the neighbor.

Another neighbor told ABC 10news the discovery was "crazy" but that he never felt unsafe.

Several neighbors wondered why and how the body ended up in a freezer....​

Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones worked as a nurse anesthetist in San Diego for nearly two decades before resigning in 1999. “Mary Margaret will be remembered as a dedicated healthcare professional and will be greatly missed by all of us at Kaiser Permanente that had the privilege to work alongside her.”​

Haxby-Jones worked at the Zion Medical Center from 1980 until 1999, according to a Kaiser Permanente spokesperson. A relative of Haxby-Jones by marriage, who asked not to be identified due to the ongoing investigation, said she doesn’t believe the woman had any blood relatives and noted that the family “is estranged.” ​

Although the relative hadn’t seen Haxby-Jones since 1995, she described her as someone who smiled often and loved to get her nails and hair done. Haxby-Jones and her husband also rescued exotic birds, she recalled. She added that Haxby-Jones is a military veteran. Google Street View images of the home where records show Haxby-Jones lived show a car with a sticker reading “U.S. Army Retired.”​

 

[Susikatze]

My guess is squatters. There are plenty of cases where a vulnerable elderly person was "taken care of" by someone who after the elderly died, took the house over and collecting the checks and never reported anything to authorities.
The various drug and overdose calls to the address point to that. I doubt Mary made them or used drugs.

 

[CuriousCricket]

My guess is squatters. There are plenty of cases where a vulnerable elderly person was "taken care of" by someone who after the elderly died, took the house over and collecting the checks and never reported anything to authorities.
The various drug and overdose calls to the address point to that. I doubt Mary made them or used drugs.

That's a reasonable possibility. And it does happen. In this case though, would LE not have been making some arrests and announcements? If the squatters are not related to Mary, wouldn't it become a major crime scene?

 

[lightofmine99]

That's a reasonable possibility. And it does happen. In this case though, would LE not have been making some arrests and announcements? If the squatters are not related to Mary, wouldn't it become a major crime scene?

It would depend on if "squatter's rights" (eye roll) come in to play.

 

[CuriousCricket]

It would depend on if "squatter's rights" (eye roll) come in to play.

Wouldn't "Squatter's rights" refer only to the house and property? I'd think the Social Security Admin and other retirement pensions would be all over this as a major theft. And in fact, that may be the hold up on charges.

Investigating this case thoroughly for exact amounts could take 6 months or longer. I'm using an embezzlement case for frame of reference. Different time. Different way of doing things. But the embezzler had been fired and everyone was expecting a major newspaper story. The other bank employees eventually came to think it was being covered up.

Not so. The charges and sentencing came down, but months and long months after the event. If Social Security and military retirement are involved, that's Federal. I don't know how the medical retirement might be. . . . .

 

[CuriousCricket]

Wouldn't "Squatter's rights" refer only to the house and property? I'd think the Social Security Admin and other retirement pensions would be all over this as a major theft. And in fact, that may be the hold up on charges.

Investigating this case thoroughly for exact amounts could take 6 months or longer. I'm using an embezzlement case for frame of reference. Different time. Different way of doing things. But the embezzler had been fired and everyone was expecting a major newspaper story. The other bank employees eventually came to think it was being covered up.

Not so. The charges and sentencing came down, but months and long months after the event. If Social Security and military retirement are involved, that's Federal. I don't know how the medical retirement might be. . . . .

Just to clarify: I have NO idea that theft has occurred here, nor any other crime. Because it appears to me (and perhaps others) that the most likely reason not to report a death might be financial, there are likely other possible plausible reasons. So far as has been announced (as I understand things), there have been no charges, no crimes, no POIs.