LATIMER, Miss. - A Mississippi sheriff accuses a man of killing his roommate and stuffing him in a freezer.

Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell tells media that a capital murder warrant has been issued for 40-year-old Thomas Elliot Stafford.

Investigators believe Stafford killed 65-year-old Jerry Floyd Kirkendall sometime around March 3, when a landlord last saw Kirkendall.

The landlord found Kirkendall's body in an unplugged freezer Monday, saying he was alerted by a horrible smell.

Ezell says Stafford also stole a gold Cadillac from Kirkendall. The second alleged crime means Stafford could face the death penalty.

Ezell says he believes Stafford has left Jackson County and the U.S. Marshal's Service is helping search.

Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus tells the Sun Herald that an autopsy is pending and cause of death is undetermined.