Massachusetts: Man in freezer identified by family as John Wayne Potter a day after he went missing

John Wayne Potter, a Massachusetts resident who was discovered dead in a Lowell home's freezer on Saturday, December 3, has been identified by his family. The identification of the guy whose body was found in a chest freezer in a basement on Coburn Street on Friday, December 2, has not been made public by authorities. The 37-year-old's family, who had reported him missing, was able to positively identify the body as being that of their loved one. According to NBC Boston, the information was discovered the day after local police had issued a missing person alert for John, who hadn't been seen since before Thanksgiving. His stepmother, Donna Potter, told the outlet, "I knew I knew something was wrong as soon as I heard he was missing." According to People, Lowell police officers doing a well-being check came upon John's body.

MISSING PERSON: John Wayne Potter, 36, is a white male, green eyes, brown hair, 5’7” & 150lbs. Mr. Potter was last seen in the area of Country Farms on Aiken Street, unknown clothing. Anyone with info regarding Mr. Potter, please call 978-937-3200. Thank you. LPD10 pic.twitter.com/w5L5lu1blw

— Lowell PD (@LowellPD) December 1, 2022

Authorities claim that before he passed away, his roommates attacked and restrained him. In connection with the death of a 37-year-old man, the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office has accused Lowell residents Michael Burke, 38, and Samantha Perry, 38, of kidnapping. They are accused of keeping the victim inside their Coburn Street house against his will. Burke and Perry contend that John was strangled on November 23 while they were being held at gunpoint by an unidentified third party, according to court documents acquired by Boston 25.

“He was in so much pain… and I couldn’t do anything about it.” Family identifies John Wayne Potter as the man who was tied up, strangled and then left in a freezer for over a week in Lowell. Hear from his relatives as they wait for answers only on @NBC10Boston. pic.twitter.com/N5Hah9NRJX

— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) December 6, 2022

Perry and Burke "forced (the victim) into a wooden chair and bound him, binding his arms, body and lips with wire, a green rope, an orange tie down strap and grey duct tape," according to court documents acquired by WCVB. Burke and Perry also claim that a third person strangled John with the rope before putting him in the freezer in the basement for a week. In the meantime, the Potter family is fundraising to cover John's funeral. John was remembered as an "amazing man who was full of love" and had a smile that could "light up the whole room." "A bright spark in this world, John touched the lives of so many and he will be missed dearly by all," the fundraiser description reads. His sister Tabitha Potter was discovered more than 20 years ago, raped, strangled, and half buried in a park near Lowell. The person who killed Tabitha was a house painter who hanged himself a few days after the crime.