Watch CBS News

Man Arrested After Body Found In Freezer In Arbuckle, Another In Pond

ARBUCKLE (CBS13) — An Arbuckle almond orchard turned into a gruesome crime scene Thursday when two women's bodies were discovered—one hidden in a freezer, the other in a pond.

Colusa County Sheriff's deputies arrested Martin Ehrke for double homicide. He is the landowner's son.

Colusa County Sheriff Lt. Mark Contreras says deputies first learned about the grisly scene from a phone call early Thursday. The caller claimed to have been on the property and described a suspicious scene, including bloody walls in a residence and two missing women.

"They were currently known to be here, at this residence, staying on and off," Contreras said.

The bodies discovered later in the day belonged to those women. Contreras says both were likely murdered within 24 hours before their bodies were found.

Deputies located Ehrke in Colusa, about a 15-minute drive from the crime scene. Deputies took him into custody, interviewed him, and then booked him into jail on homicide charges.

"It's going to be hard on this community for a while," Contreras said. "It's a small community; everybody knows everybody."

Deputies are not releasing the identities of the women pending notification of next of kin.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.