5 chilling details about the frozen horror of Cynthia Mudd’s murder

In August 2022, officials found the body of 71-year-old Cynthia Mudd inside a freezer located in the backyard of her Cross Lanes, West Virginia home. This discovery was made weeks after her death. A few months later, Samuel May, 44, a former boyfriend and caretaker of Mudd, was charged with second-degree murder.

Following Mudd’s willful and violent death, the investigation revealed a calculated effort to conceal the crime and exploit Cynthia Mudd even in death. May was sentenced to 40 years, the maximum for second-degree murder.

Season 14, episode 9 of See No Evil features the case of Cynthia Mudd. The episode premiered on July 29, 2025.

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5 chilling details about Cynthia Mudd’s murder

1) Her body was found in a backyard freezer after her dog raised concerns

Cynthia Mudd's corpse was only found because someone noticed that her dog was acting strangely near a freezer located in the backyard. Upon the opening of the freezer, investigators located Cynthia's body wrapped in carpet and placed in the chest freezer under the trash.

According to WCHS, it was the dog's strange attention to that area that alerted investigators to the horrible discovery of Mudd's body.

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2) She was left to die with broken ribs, then hidden for weeks

Prosecutors indicated that Cynthia Mudd was brutally beaten, had broken ribs, and was left in a vulnerable position with no medical care. May and his roommate, Arnold Hiller, prevented Mudd from calling for assistance and allowed her to die.

Assistant Prosecutor Michele Drummond indicated in court that "after having had her ribs broken, the victim lay helpless until she died," then her body was placed in the freezer in the backyard, as reported by WCHS.

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3) May and another man used Mudd’s debit card after her death

Through surveillance footage and witness accounts, police confirmed Samuel May and Arnold Hiller used Mudd’s debit card throughout Kanawha County in the days following her death.

According to WSAZ, the investigators found both men on camera making purchases with Mudd’s account, while her body remained concealed in a freezer.

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4) Mudd’s body was mutilated postmortem

During the sentencing hearing, Mudd’s daughter provided an emotional victim impact statement, stating:

“Samuel May killed my mom and he mutilated her body and set her out to rot.”

She added that he buried her mother in a “junk freezer” to continue spending her money.

WCHS reported she reiterated more than once that May acted with clear intent while sober, and then continued to dehumanize her mother after she died.

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5) May claimed he blacked out and couldn’t remember the killing

In his interview with the Charleston Police, Samuel May admitted to killing Mudd, but claimed that he did not recall the details because he had blacked out drunk.

According to WSAZ, May told officers that he woke up after a night out with Hiller and found Mudd on the floor with bruises. May then chose to hide Mudd's body instead of getting help. In court, May's defense attorney claimed that he was being “idiotic” but not maliciously deliberate in his behavior.

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See No Evil can be streamed on Investigation Discovery.

Edited by Riya Peter