Roseville Police report that they were investigating a motor vehicle accident in Roseville, Michigan involving a driver, Steven Lee Freeman, 19, who was found to be driving a stolen pickup truck on October 27,  when he collided with a driver in a sedan. After the accident, Freeman ran from the scene, evading police, but the cops eventually apprehended him and arrested him after they discovered a woman’s body in the back of the pickup truck. 

The woman was identified as Gabriele Seitz, 62, of Shelby Township, and she was said to be the owner of the truck. A shoelace had been wrapped around her neck, indicating she was strangled to death. 

Freeman was arraigned last week on charges of one count of concealing the death of an individual and one count of receiving and concealing stolen property.

Freeman’s bail was set at $75,000 because he was not yet considered a suspect in the murder. District Judge Alyia Marie Hakim said, “At this time those are not high-level felonies,” and set a bond of $75,000 cash surety with GPS tether monitoring if Freeman is able to post bond. She said the bond was appropriate based on the law, the charges and the allegations, in light of there not being a cause of death.

County Assistant Prosecutor Steve Fox told the Detroit Free Press that Freeman has a long history of mental illness and that he’s probably homeless. 

Freeman’s attorney, Kevin Smith, said that Freeman is single, has no criminal record, and suffers from depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. 

Authorities are investigating to see if there is any connection between the suspect and the victim.