UPDATE: A suspect has been identified and arrested for the brutal murder of Parker League. Read more.
MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — Authorities in Arizona have identified a body that was discovered burning in a fire pit near Apache Junction as a teen who was reported missing earlier this month.
Parker League, 18, was visiting Tempe, Arizona, from Nebraska when he was reported missing on June 15 by a family member. His belongings were found at a residence in Tempe, 12 News reported.
The Nebraska teen’s body was located in a bonfire pit in a desolate off-roading area of Bullfrog Canyon off Hackamore Road, about an hour from Phoenix. The grim discovery was made by a local resident the morning of June 12, three days before he was reported missing. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case and described League’s death as “malicious.”
MCSO officials spoke out publicly Thursday about the case for the first time. However, they withheld several details to protect the integrity of the homicide investigation, including how League got to the desert and what happened to him.
“The information we have available for release is he was found in the pile burning. So as far as the other details of whether he was placed there, whether that’s where he was, those are details we can’t get into,” said Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, a public information officer with MCSO. “Only certain people know details of that crime, so they can’t be released to protect the integrity of investigation.”
League recently graduated from high school in Nebraska. Revelations of his death have local residents concerned about their safety, FOX News reported.
“Just knowing that they found a body in a fire pit, it’s really scary and really sad, and it’s hard to feel safe,” resident Amber Kunau told FOX 10. “That’s entering new territory for out here, we’ve seen a lot of stuff.”
Local residents told the news outlet that they have witnessed strange activity in the remote desert region close to where League’s body was discovered.
“There are needles and all kinds of stuff. We’re just tired of it,” Sharon Allison-Brown said. “They just come here and dump and there’s trash all over the place.”
She added: “We live here because of the serenity. Can’t have that serenity with all this commotion going on. Now we have a dead body.”
Detectives will likely use cellphone data and certain characteristics of the body to piece together the investigation, crime experts shared with KPHO.
Former Phoenix Police Department Sgt. Troy Hillman said that DNA collected at the scene and any remnants of blunt force trauma could help provide a clearer picture of what took place. Moreover, the bonfire area could also provide investigative details that will be helpful.
“It speaks to potential suspects as being potentially familiar with that area and/or wanting to have some sort of solitude to commit the heinous act,” Hillman said.
MCSO is seeking help from the public. Anyone with information about League’s death is asked to call MCSO at 602-876-TIPS.
