Woman found in freezer of abandoned Oak Cliff home

By and
Published  May 15, 2026 9:06am CDT
FOX 4

The Brief

    • Dallas police have launched a homicide investigation after the body of 27-year-old Mariah Murray was discovered inside a freezer at an abandoned home in East Oak Cliff.
    • Family members are pleading for information and justice, describing Murray as a ‘good spirit’ who did not deserve the tragic circumstances of her death.
    • Authorities are now investigating a suspicious fire that broke out at the Georgia Avenue residence just hours after the gruesome discovery was made.

DALLAS - The family of a 27-year-old woman is searching for answers after she was found dead Sunday in a freezer at an abandoned home in East Oak Cliff.

Woman found in freezer of abandoned home

Woman's body found inside East Oak Cliff home
Woman's body found inside East Oak Cliff home
Woman's body found inside East Oak Cliff home

What we know:

Dallas police officers responded to a call in the 1400 block of Georgia Ave. around 2:30 p.m. Upon arrival, investigators discovered the body of Mariah Murray. 

Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to a fire at the home just hours after Murray’s body was discovered. Investigators are still working to determine if the fire was connected to the homicide.

Detectives are working to determine the circumstances of her death. No suspect information or motive has been released. Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact Detective C. Fehrenbach at 214-671-3671.

What they're saying:

Murray’s family visited the scene this week, hoping to raise awareness and find the person responsible.

"All of these people around here, somebody who knows did it," Murray’s cousin said. "Somebody seen her. They know who did it." 

Family members described Murray as a "good spirit" who loved to laugh. "She didn’t deserve what happened to her," another relative said.

The other side:

The abandoned home is located near the Illinois Avenue DART station. Records show Murray had several past minor infractions related to DART, such as fare evasion. 

Local perspective:

Neighbors, including Cesar Labrador, expressed shock over the discovery. Another neighbor, speaking off-camera, described the abandoned house as a frequent site for drug activity.

"I really do give out my condolences to her family and hope they’re okay," Labrador said.

Family members acknowledged that while Murray faced challenges, it did not justify her death. "Oh, she had plenty of options, but people choose to do what they want to do," one relative said. "But whatever they chose, she didn’t deserve what happened."

Another family member added: "People just make mistakes. You know, maybe she was hanging with the wrong people. Somebody had to see something, and somebody had to know something, so they need to speak up. We want justice. We want whoever did it found. Point-blank. Period."

The Source: Information in this article comes from Dallas police and the family of the victim.

East Oak CliffDallasCrime and Public Safety