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Landfill search for Christine Mustafa's body to begin in October

Posted at 9:41 PM, Sep 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-20 13:08:33-04

ABC15 has learned Phoenix police are finalizing plans to dig through a landfill in search of Christine Mustafa's body; the Valley mom has been missing since the spring.

Her ex-boyfriend is accused of her murder, but the body hasn’t been found, despite exhaustive searches around her north Phoenix home. 

ABC15 reported that a landfill search was possible in July, but now Phoenix police confirm they’re finalizing plans and will likely start digging through trash at a landfill southwest of the city starting in October. Those final plans include a list of resources: Heavy equipment, manpower and money needed for this enormous undertaking.

Police told ABC15’s Jason Volentine in July that they’d asked an undisclosed landfill to stop piling trash in one area that may contain Mustafa’s body. Police said at that time they’d only search after exhausting all other possibilities due to the high cost, intensive labor needs and low odds for success. 

In 2012, Glendale police spent $750,000 dollars over four months searching unsuccessfully for 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley's body in a landfill. 

Phoenix police will hope for better results in Mustafa’s case. 

Meantime, Mustafa’s ex-boyfriend, Robert Interval, faces 1st-degree murder charges and is due back in court for a status hearing on Monday, September 25th.