Couple in their 70s froze to death, Arizona cops say. Snow hid bodies for up to a week

Heading down her driveway Friday, Diane Haas thought she spotted a dead animal under the snow blanketing her property near Flagstaff, Arizona, according to KNXV.

But her husband, Michael Haas, could see blue jeans on one of the figures revealed by the melting snow, CNN reported.

The bodies of Richard Alexander, 74, and his wife, Elizabeth Alexander, 79, were found in the snow in Ash Fork, west of Flagstaff, AZ Family reported.

The two are believed to have died from exposure, reported a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department post on Facebook.

Sheriff’s officials say in the post that a preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play. The bodies were found at 1 p.m.

The couple’s vehicle was found about a mile away, CNN reported. Neighbors had reported seeing the abandoned vehicle for about a week, after a freezing post-Thanksgiving storm.

Michael Haas says he suspects the Alexanders tried to reach his home for help after their vehicle became stranded, KNXV reported.

“My house was the only light they could see,” Haas said, CNN reported. “They tried to make it to our house and made it within 100 yards.”

Michael Haas said he found Richard Alexander on top of his wife’s body, possibly in an attempt to protect her from the cold, KNXV reported.

“It’s terrifying to think that she might’ve been alive under her husband,” he said, according to the station.

The National Highway Travel Safety Commission suggests stocking your vehicle with blankets, a snow shovel, an ice scraper, flares, water, food and a fully-charged cell phone before winter driving.

This story was originally published December 8, 2019 at 7:54 AM with the headline "Couple in their 70s froze to death, Arizona cops say. Snow hid bodies for up to a week."