A man found a decomposed body in his dead mother�s freezer as he was clearing out her Manhattan apartment, police said.

He found the body this week in a chest freezer that had been sealed with duct tape, the Daily News reported.

Investigators said the body appeared to have been stored for over 10 years, building superintendent Asmir Basim told the newspaper in Friday�s article.

The body was so decayed that authorities couldn�t determine its gender, Basim said.

Authorities are investigating, and an autopsy is planned, city officials said in a written statement.

The deceased tenant never gave permission for work to be done in the Hamilton Heights apartment, Basim said, adding that she �seemed like a lovely lady, always very pleasant.�

(AP)