Woman arrested after neighbour finds mother's body in freezer sold in US yard sale

Marcella Jean Lee told buyer not to open freezer 'because it was being used for time capsule'

Marcella Jean Lee, 56, was arrested on charges of failing to report a death (Goldsboro Police Department)

A woman has been arrested after her mother’s body was found in a freezer – after it was purchased by an unsuspecting neighbour at a yard sale in the US.

Marcella Jean Lee was arrested on Thursday in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, on charges of concealing or failing to report a death.

Police in Goldsboro said the 56-year-old had been wanted for more than three months after the gruesome discovery was reported.

Lee allegedly sold her mother’s freezer to a neighbour for $30 (£23) in May but told the buyer not to open it “because it was being used as a time capsule for a class project she was doing at church”, according to WECT News.

She promised parishioners would collect the items but they never arrived, prompting the buyer to eventually open the freezer, which had been taped shut, and discover the body inside.

A post mortem found no signs of foul play in the death of 75-year-old Arma Roush, who lived with Lee and was last seen in August 2015.

Lee is currently being held in the New Hanover County Jail.