SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A former Seattle business owner has been accused of transporting over two dozen human limbs and heads from Washington state and dumping them in remote parts of Arizona.
Walter Mitchell, 59, was arrested Tuesday in Scottsdale on 28 counts of abandonment or concealment of a dead body, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
YCSO/Medical Examiner conduct Joint Investigation in the Discovery of Human Remains – SUSPECT ARRESTED
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Posted by Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Mitchell previously owned a business that managed research cadavers. He is accused of moving body parts with the intention of abandoning them, Daily Wire reported.
Five heads and two dozen limbs, including arms and legs, have been recovered in two different areas since the day after Christmas. Authorities said unspecified materials found along with the bodies suggested all of the remains were abandoned by the same person.
“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,” Yavapai County Sheriff Scott Mascher said in a statement on Tuesday. “I want to thank the community for their patience as we investigated this case and am very proud of our detectives, staff, and volunteers for the work they did to identify and arrest the suspect so quickly.”
Mascher said that he devoted significant resources to the case early on as it was important to rule out a serial killer as the culprit.
Authorities investigate the discovery of dozens of human body parts northwest of Prescott on Sunday. (Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office)
“The disrespect shown to the deceased in this case by those who were charged with caring for their remains is abhorrent and intolerable,” said Sheriff-elect David Rhodes, who assumes command on Saturday. “Today’s arrest is a big step in getting accountability and honor for those whose remains were so cavalierly treated.”
