DA weighs whether to charge La Pine woman who lived with sister’s body

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said Tuesday he is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the death of a La Pine woman and whether to charge her younger sister, who lived with the woman’s decomposing body for five months.

An autopsy confirmed that 63-year-old Christine Freise died of natural causes last November at the La Pine home she shared with her 59-year-old sister, Elizabeth Friese.

After her sister died, “Elizabeth Freise left her in her bed, where her body decomposed until it was discovered on April 15th of this year

“Community standards dictate that respect for our deceased, at a minimum, requires proper disposal of their bodies,” Hummel said in a news release.

“Additionally, when bodies are not properly handled, a public health risk results,” the DA said.

“I will fully investigate the circumstances involved in this unfortunate incident and make a charging decision that takes into account the gravity of the situation while balancing the potentially mitigating factors,” Hummel added.Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday confirmed the identity of a La Pine woman who died of natural causes last fall, five months before her body was found in the home where her younger sister still lived.

Lt. Chad Davis said the woman has been identified as Christine Freise, 63. The State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Freise died of natural causes.

The investigation report has been forwarded to the district attorney’s office for review of any possible charges against the younger sister, Elizabeth Freise, 59.

Davis said Elizabeth Freise turned over custody of one dog and more than 20 cats to the Humane Society of Central Oregon.

A neighbor had called sheriff’s dispatchers on April 15 to report a woman now identified as the younger sister had fallen on her front porch at the home on Center Drive and needed medical attention. When La Pine Fire Department medics responded to provide aid, they became concerned about living conditions, noting foul oders and garbage collected in the home.

A deputy interviewed Friese at St. Charles Bend and she admitted her sister had died some time in mid-November and her remains were still inside the home. She said she was her sister’s caregiver, and she’d suffered from a long-term illness that left her mostly bedridden.