Michael Chadwick Fry, a Texas man from Bartonville, was charged with abuse of a corpse after authorities say he stole human remains from at least two cemeteries and tossed a bucket containing bones over a fence at the FBI's Dallas field office — an act he filmed and posted to YouTube.
Background
Fry came to investigators' attention when his mother called the Bartonville Police Department to report that her son had asked for money to rent a U-Haul to "move a body," according to an arrest affidavit. The call came in shortly after law enforcement received credible information about a bucket of bones being thrown over a fence at the FBI's Dallas field office.
When police arrived at his mother's home, Fry had already become irate and left before officers could speak with him. Police issued an alert to neighboring agencies requesting they watch for suspicious activity.
It was Fry's sister who ultimately directed investigators to his YouTube channel, where videos showed "separate human remains and an urn of ashes" at his Bartonville residence. The videos, posted on a channel called "Fry and Berto News! where we reveal mass killers," featured multiple complaints about police and courts in the Denton area, according to investigators.
The investigation revealed that the urn had been stolen from a cemetery in Oklahoma City in February. Agents also found evidence that a coffin containing remains was taken from a cemetery in Denton, Texas.
This is not the first time Fry has drawn attention from law enforcement. In 2018, he crashed his truck into the KDFW building in Dallas. After the crash, he threw sheets of paper onto the sidewalk and left a bright orange duffel bag that prompted a bomb squad response. Police determined Fry was upset about a 2012 police shooting that killed his friend, and he later apologized during a court hearing.
The Investigation
Detectives executed a search warrant at Fry's home in Bartonville, where they recovered the human remains and stolen ashes. The FBI confirmed that the bucket thrown over the Dallas field office fence contained human remains.
One video posted by Fry, titled "we sent Elizabeth over the FBI fence to summon them by force," shows him first speaking with a gate agent at the FBI office about an investigation he had requested online that never received a response. The gate agent provided him a number to call regarding his report status.
Wearing a t-shirt featuring a WFAA news story about someone being fatally shot during a traffic stop, Fry drove a short distance from the gate and threw the bucket over the fence. In the video, he claims the bucket contained "Elizabeth's remains." Another video reportedly shows Fry with a human skull at his Bartonville home.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Chadwick Fry was charged with abuse of a corpse after allegedly stealing remains from cemeteries in Oklahoma City and Denton, Texas
- He filmed himself throwing a bucket of bones over the FBI's Dallas field office fence and posted the video to YouTube
- The initial tip came from Fry's mother, who reported her son asked for money to rent a U-Haul to "move a body"
- His sister later told authorities about his YouTube videos showing the remains
- The FBI confirmed the bucket contained human remains
- Fry has a prior history with law enforcement, including a 2018 truck crash into the KDFW building
- He claimed to be upset about a 2012 police shooting that killed his friend
What's Next
Fry remains in custody following his arrest. Investigators continue to examine the remains to determine their identities and origins. The case is being handled by the FBI, Bartonville Police Department, and local prosecutors. Further charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
The human remains have been sent for forensic analysis to determine whether they can be identified and returned to their families or next of kin.