Body parts found in Valley storm drain, says MCSO

PHOENIX - Authorities say decomposed body parts were discovered at the bottom of a Valley storm drain Wednesday morning.

According to spokesman Brandon Jones with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, initial reports came from workers cleaning the storm drain overnight at 43rd Avenue and Broadway Road.

They reportedly told investigators that they believe they saw a body at the bottom of the drain, 30 feet deep.

Detectives waited until daybreak before going down into the drain to see what they could find.

Air15 video showed MCSO blocking off the intersection with several law enforcement vehicles in the area.

Around 9:45 a.m., detectives found the body parts. MCSO said detectives are not sure how long the body parts have been there.

Wednesday afternoon MCSO had detectives go back into the storm drain to search for more clues, and they found an additional bone. The bone was turned over to the medical examiner's office.

Jones said detectives doubt the person accidentally ended up in the drain. A body may have been dumped into the drain and washed down from upstream.

As of Wednesday afternoon all of the drainage pipes in the area have been searched, and the intersection has been reopened.

According to MCSO, they are now waiting on the Medical Examiner's office for identification of the body found.