A Texas man has been arrested after allegedly removing human remains from a cemetery mausoleum and throwing a bucket containing human bones over the fence of an FBI office in Dallas. The investigation into the incident began after the man’s mother contacted police about his unusual request for money to hire a moving truck. Authorities later uncovered videos allegedly showing him with human remains at his home and carrying out the incident outside the federal building. The case has also brought renewed attention to his previous arrest in Dallas.
Texas man arrested after human remains allegedly stolen from cemetery mausoleum
Michael Chadwick Fry, 41, of Bartonville, Texas, was arrested on March 18, 2026, following an investigation involving the Bartonville Police Department, Denton Police Department and FBI agents.According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, investigators received information suggesting that Fry had unlawfully removed human remains from a cemetery in Denton County. The investigation eventually led officers to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Cemetery in Denton, where they discovered a damaged mausoleum with remains missing from inside.The Denton Police Department confirmed the discovery. The department said it had been informed on March 18 that human remains recovered during an investigation by Bartonville police might have been taken from the cemetery.Following a search of the site, officers found damage to the mausoleum and confirmed that remains were missing. Authorities also said the next of kin had been notified.The case was being investigated by Bartonville police, with Denton officers providing assistance. The involvement of the FBI added a federal dimension to an investigation that began with reports of missing remains.
What led investigators to Michael Chadwick Fry
The circumstances that brought Fry to the attention of authorities emerged through information provided by his family.According to the arrest warrant affidavit reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fry’s mother contacted police on March 16 after he approached her asking for money to rent a U-Haul truck.When she asked why he needed the vehicle, he reportedly told her that he had a body that needed to be moved. His mother said he became angry and left her home after the conversation.Concerned by the statement, she contacted the Bartonville Police Department. Investigators subsequently circulated information to neighbouring law enforcement agencies to help locate Fry and watch for potentially suspicious activity.His sister also contacted authorities and provided information about a video she believed Fry had recorded and uploaded online.The footage reportedly showed him outside the FBI’s Dallas field office with a bucket containing what he described as human remains. This information became an important part of the investigation and helped officers connect the cemetery case with the incident at the federal building.
A YouTube video showed the bucket being thrown over the FBI fence
According to CBS News Texas, investigators reviewed a video posted on Fry’s YouTube account that allegedly showed him throwing a closed white bucket over the security fence at the FBI’s Dallas field office.In the footage, Fry reportedly referred to the contents as Elizabeth’s remains and indicated that he wanted to attract the attention of federal agents.The arrest affidavit stated that Fry appeared to be attempting to get the FBI involved in what he considered wrongdoing by Denton County officials connected to an earlier arrest.An FBI special agent later informed investigators that the bucket contained numerous bones that appeared to be human. The remains were sent for forensic examination.Authorities also reviewed two other videos from Fry’s YouTube account. These allegedly showed him holding a human skull at his residence in Bartonville. The skull reportedly had dirt, hair and other natural material still attached to it. Fry identified it as Elizabeth Virginia Lyon in the videos.According to the affidavit, an investigating officer believed the skull and the bones recovered from the FBI premises belonged to the same set of remains. However, forensic examination was needed to establish their connection.
Investigators found evidence of another cemetery theft
The investigation also uncovered information about a separate incident involving human remains in Oklahoma City.According to the Bartonville Police Department’s statement, investigators determined that Fry had allegedly stolen an urn containing human remains from a cemetery in Oklahoma City. Police there had already opened an investigation into the theft in February 2026.Fry’s mother also provided investigators with information about searches for cemeteries recorded in the vehicle he used. The GPS records reportedly showed searches for three locations, including one cemetery in Arlington, Texas, and two in Oklahoma City.She also told authorities that she had noticed a new shovel at the property and that Fry had recently started locking a backyard shed, something she said he had not regularly done before.Separately, FBI agents found evidence at the Denton cemetery suggesting that a coffin had been removed from the mausoleum.
What charges does Fry face following his arrest
Following the investigation, Bartonville police arrested Fry at his residence in the 500 block of Oakwood Drive on March 18. According to CBS News Texas, Fry was charged with two counts of abuse of a corpse and one count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony under Texas law.FOX 4 reported that abuse of a corpse is a state jail felony. The charges relate to the alleged handling and removal of human remains. Court records also showed that Fry had been arrested more than two dozen times since 2003. His previous charges included assault causing bodily injury, burglary, theft, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and resisting arrest.
Fry was previously arrested after crashing into a Dallas television station
According to FOX 4, Fry was arrested in 2018 after repeatedly driving a rented pickup truck into the station’s building while the morning news programme was being broadcast.After getting out of the vehicle, he reportedly threw sheets of paper across the pavement. He also left behind a bright orange duffel bag, prompting police to establish a security perimeter and call in a bomb squad.Investigators later determined that Fry was upset about a 2012 incident in Denton County in which sheriff’s deputies fatally shot his friend during a confrontation involving a vehicle.FOX 4 reported that Fry had been a passenger in the vehicle involved in that earlier incident. Police said he was trying to attract media attention during the 2018 episode. No injuries were reported, and he was charged with criminal mischief.
