A man was convicted of a slew of felonies related to his dumping of human body parts, including human heads, across Arizona in 2020.
Walter Harold Mitchell III had owned a business called “FutureGenex” that provided cadavers to medical schools for decades. In April 2020, his business closed and he moved to Arizona.
Prosecutors say that he took the human body parts in a U-Haul truck on dry ice.
In December 2020, hikers and hunters reported finding the body parts to police, who documented 24 body parts dumped at two sites north and west of Prescott in the desert.
Deputy Yavapai County Attorney Casi Harris said that the body parts found included arms, legs and heads that came from nine different people.
Officials also found that the parts had silver tags and serial numbers used for donor parts. The identification numbers helped them tie the remains to Mitchell. When they searched his apartment, they found further evidence that connected him to the dumped parts.
Law enforcement officials also used DNA evidence from families who had donated the bodies of their loved ones for what they were told was scientific research.
“It was hurtful to think she would be treated that way. Not only her but anyone else. I thought it was disgusting,” said Marie Christianson to KING-TV about her mother.
Investigators said that Mitchell eventually confessed to dumping the body parts and agreed to a plea deal.
The 60-year-old was arrested in December 2020 at his Scottsdale apartment. He was charged with 29 counts of abandonment or concealment of a dead body, each of which is a Class 5 felony.
On Thursday, a Yavapai County jury found him guilty of all counts.
Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced for the 29 felonies on October 31, which also happens to be Halloween.
Here’s a local news report about the conviction:
Man found guilty of dumping body parts in Arizona
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