A Dutch man has admitted that he kept his father’s dead body in a freezer for more than a year so he could “still talk to him.”

The shocking discovery came to light over the weekend when the doctor of an elderly man in Landgraaf alerted authorities that he was concerned for his patient’s wellbeing, 1Limburg reported.

Authorities subsequently found that the man, who has not been named, had died about 18 months ago at age 101 – and that his son, 82, was keeping his remains in a freezer at home.

“I didn’t want to lose [my father]. Otherwise I would miss him,” the octogenarian told the outlet.

He put his father in the freezer, he explained, so he could “still talk to him.”

While the son is being investigated for hiding his father’s body, police told 1Limburg that they do not suspect foul play was involved in the older man’s death.

Investigators are reportedly trying to establish the father’s exact time and manner of death. 

Meanwhile, his son has been given one week to clean up the family’s home, which was found in disarray. Officials will then evaluate whether he can continue to live independently.