Landfill search for missing Glendale girl, Jhessye Shockley, could finish by end of June

PHOENIX - The methodical search of an Arizona landfill for the body of a 5-year-old girl missing for about eight months could be finished by the end of June.

Glendale police Officer Tracey Breeden told The Associated Press on Thursday that authorities have sifted through 75 percent of a 36,000-square-foot area of the Butterfield Landfill in Mobile, south of the Phoenix area.

The search for the body of 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley of Glendale began Feb. 6 as dozens of officers donned protective gear, masks, and boots and used rake-like tools to sift through about 6,000 tons of trash.

Breeden says the only items the search has turned up are documents from the date police believe Jhessye's body was dumped in a garbage bin in Tempe.

Breeden says while the search could be done by the end of June, it could take several more weeks depending on several factors including weather, equipment, and personnel. She said no end date has been set.