Suspect Arrested In Connection With Discarded Body Parts: Sheriff

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — An arrest has been made in the case of body parts found scattered at two separate sites outside of Prescott, according to authorities.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday that 59-year-old Walter Mitchell had been arrested after evidence that both sites pointed deputies to his Seattle-based business 'Future GenX.' The business involved cadaver research and had recently closed its doors.

According to the news release, the office worked with Seattle police to track Mitchell's whereabouts, bringing the remains of five people to the Prescott area and then to Scottsdale, where he was eventually brought into custody. His motive is unknown, the statement said.

“This situation is unimaginable, and I am so sorry for the families whose loved ones were donated to research and treated in such a horrific fashion," Sheriff Scott Mascher said in a statement.

Mascher retires from his post on Friday, with Sheriff-elect David Rhodes taking up the mantle in his footsteps. Rhodes also spoke out about the nature of the crimes Mitchell is accused of.

"The disrespect shown to the deceased in this case by those who were charged with caring for their remains is abhorrent and intolerable," he said. "Today's arrest is a big step in getting accountability and honor for those whose remains were so cavalierly treated."

Two human limbs were first recovered off of Contreras Road near Prescott on Saturday, which eventually led to 19 limbs, including arms and legs. Saturday resulted in the discovery of five more, with a hunter in the Camp Wood area finding two severed heads. A follow-up search turned up three more. Similar materials found at both sites told deputies the same suspect was involved, according to the news release.

In Arizona, it is against the law to knowingly move a dead human body or body parts with the intent to abandon or conceal them. Mitchell has been booked on 28 counts but bond has not yet been set.

The investigation is still active and additional details are not yet available.