A man who had a recent business managing human corpses was arrested in Arizona after dozens of body parts, including severed limbs and heads, were found scattered in a remote area in what investigators call a ‘bizarre and cruel case’ mention.
Walter Mitchell, 59, was arrested in Scottsdale on Tuesday on 28 charges of leaving or hiding a body, the sheriff of Yavapai County said in a statement.
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According to the sheriff, Mitchell owned a company in Seattle called Future GenX, which involved managing cadavers for research. The business recently closed.
Walter Harold Mitchell faces charges of dumping body parts allegedly used for medical research in remote areas outside Prescott, Ariz (Yavapai County Sheriff via AP)
The investigation began on Dec. 26 when the sheriff’s office was alerted to the discovery of two human limbs outside the city of Prescott. According to the sheriff’s office, investigators found a total of 19 human limbs, including detached arms and legs.
The next day, detectives found five more human limbs in second place outside Prescott, investigators said. Further investigation also revealed five severed human heads.
Detectives quickly ruled out the possibility of a serial killer and determined that the remains were likely linked to a medical institution and intended for use in the education and research field, the sheriff said.
Authorities on Sunday are investigating the discovery of dozens of human body parts northwest of Prescott. (Sheriff at Yavapai County via AP)
At both sites, investigators said they found ‘puppy path’ and gauze-like material used in hospital settings for patients who are incontinent.
Investigators said the evidence was used to trace the remains to Mitchell’s Seattle business. In collaboration with local law enforcement officers in Seattle, the sheriff’s office learned that Mitchell left the city earlier this year with human remains of five individuals.
“This situation is unthinkable, and I am very sorry for the families whose loved ones were so horribly donated to research and treated,” the outgoing sheriff, Scott Mascher, said in a statement.
The elected sheriff, David Rhodes, described Mascher’s sentiment: “The contempt shown to the deceased in the case by those accused of caring for their remains is abhorrent and unbearable.”
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Detectives tracked down Mitchell’s travels from Seattle to the Prescott and Chino Valley communities before finally arriving in Scottsdale, where he was arrested, the sheriff said.
Investigators said Mitchell’s motive remains unknown.