Christopher Chase murdered his father, Thomas Chase, said police in Casa Grande, Arizona. His mother, Melissa Chase, helped hide the evidence, authorities said. (Images: Case Grande Police Department)
An Arizona man allegedly went on something of a rampage, fatally shooting his father during a fight and holding three people hostage at gunpoint. Cops in the city of Case Grande have recommended formal charges including murder against the defendant, Christopher Lawrence Chase, 32.
On top of that, authorities claim his mother, Melissa Lynne Chase, 56, helped him hide and clean up the evidence, recommending she face charges of abandonment/concealment of a dead body and tampering with evidence.
According to cops, the local fire department responded to a home at 200 North Brown Avenue on Monday at 1:43 a.m. over a report of a structure fire.
“When they arrived, firefighters witnessed a subject flee from the property,” police wrote. “Firefighters yelled for the subject to stop and return, but he continued to flee the area. Firefighters then extinguished a fire in a burning 55-gallon metal barrel. They also observed portions of a human body inside the barrel.”
Those remains used to be the victim, Thomas Chase, 57, officers said.
The identity of the fleeing suspect remained a mystery ever so briefly.
Christopher Chase allegedly called 911 nearby from the 200 block of North Morrison Avenue later that early morning. He allegedly admitted that he got rid of a body by burning it and running away when firefighters arrived.
Cops said they detained Chase and they determined he held three people at gunpoint at the North Morrison Avenue home: a 57-year-old woman, a 68-year-old man, and a 41-year-old man.
“Christopher demanded keys to their vehicle before ultimately calling 911 to turn himself in,” officers wrote.
None of these people were hurt.
“Investigators have determined Christopher and his father, Thomas, were involved in a physical altercation on July 22nd at Thomas’ home in the 1700 block of North Terrace Circle,” authorities said. “This altercation led to Christopher fatally shooting Thomas and then dismembering his body.”
A medical examiner has yet to make a formal conclusion on the cause of death.
“Further investigation has determined Christopher was aided by his 56-year-old mother, Melissa Lynne Chase, in the concealment and cleanup of evidence,” police said in a news release.
Authorities locked Christopher Chase into the Pinal County Adult Detention Center without bond. Investigators recommend prosecutors charge him with murder, abandonment/concealment of a dead body, kidnapping, aggravated assault, burglary, and tampering with evidence.
Melissa Chase remains at the jail on a $500,000 bond.
Son and mother face hearing to take place Aug. 1, jail records show.
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