Seattle man, 59, who managed cadavers for research is arrested after he 'dumped 24 limbs and five skulls belonging to donated bodies in Arizona forest'
Walter Mitchell, 59, was arrested in Arizona on Tuesday and charged with 28 counts of unlawful discarding of human remains
A man who ran a business managing cadavers for research has been arrested for allegedly dumping human body parts, including five skulls, in an Arizona forest.
Walter Mitchell, 59, was found in Scottsdale and arrested on Tuesday after Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered 19 humans limbs scattered across two remote areas in Prescott on Saturday December 26.
The next day five more limbs and five skulls were found.
Investigators determined based off the materials found at the two sites, such as gauze and puppy pads used at hospitals for patients who are incontinent, that the remains were related and likely came from the same suspect.
Police said that the bodies were connected to a business Mitchell owned in Seattle called Future GenX that was recently closed and was involved in the management of cadavers for release.
On Saturday Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered 19 humans limbs scattered across two remote areas in Prescott. Then on Sunday they discovered five more limbs and five human skulls. A view of one of the two areas where the remains were found pictured above with police caution tape
Mitchell left Seattle earlier this year, relocating to the Valley and he brought with him the donated human remains that belonged to five individuals from the Seattle-area, then allegedly spread the remains in the wilderness.
Mitchell was included in 2017 report by Reuters on body donations as the former owner of BioGift, an Oregon body-donation firm. He was described as a 'veteran body broker.'
Generally labs and companies that accept cadavers for science and research are supposed to cremate the bodies afterwards at no cost to the person's family.
Mitchell has been charged with 28 counts of unlawful discarding of human remains.
According to the law, it is illegal for a person to knowingly move a body or remains with an intent to abandon them.
Police said that the bodies were connected to a Mitchell's recently closed down company Future GenX in Seattle where he managed cadavers for research. Mitchell left Seattle earlier this year, relocated to Arizona and brought with him donated human remains that belonged to five individuals. Mitchell pictured above featured in a 2017 Reuters report about being a body broker
The Sheriff’s Office hasn’t shared a motive. Now they're looking to contact the family of the five bodies whose limbs were dumped in Prescott to tell them what happened.
'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. 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,' Sheriff Scott Mascher, who retires this week, said.
'The disrespect shown to the deceased in this case by those who were charged with caring for their remains is abhorrent and intolerable,' Sheriff-elect David Rhodes said in a statement.