Fleeing arrest: Minnesota man hides in freezer, dies of suffocation

A man hailing from Minnesota who was found dead inside the freezer of an empty house last month is believed to be evading capture and may have jumped inside to hide, according to a preliminary investigation.

Brandon Lee Buschman, 34, was found on June 26 in a chest freezer in the basement of a vacant house after he reportedly tried to elude local law enforcement, according to police on Friday.

Police believe that the resident of Babbitt, who was wanted for questioning, entered the freezer on his own initiative to hide but got stuck inside after becoming trapped.

According to many interviews with people connected with Buschman, Gilbert Police Chief Ty Techar stated on Friday that foul play is not believed to have occurred.

"The individuals revealed that Buschman was last seen by those present in the home fleeing from the upstairs area of the house due to a possible police presence near the residence," Techar said. "Buschman had an active outstanding warrant for his arrest."

The medical examiner's office performed an autopsy, and it found no signs of trauma or injuries to his body. However, a toxicology report is anticipated in a few weeks.

According to the Gilbert Police Department, which has a contract with the city of Biwabik, where the death occurred, the chest freezer is an older model with a latching mechanism on the exterior of the freezer.

"When closed, the freezer is not capable of being pushed open from inside," police said in a news release.

When he entered the house, no utilities had been connected since April 2022, so the freezer was not functional, and no one had lived in the house since February 2023, according to the police.

Authorities said Buschman was last seen running from the upstairs portion of the house because of a potential police presence, according to several people familiar with his situation who spoke with investigators, the New York Post reported.

"The reports from the individuals were very unclear to us as to exactly when it was that Buschman had fled," Lt. Chelsea Trucano told the News Tribune.

"We are continuing to work on some additional investigation to narrow if that means it was this year or last year and will provide that information at a later date once it is narrowed to a better timeline."

Furthermore, the police did not say for what crime Buschman was wanted.