Staff Reports
PIMA — What was initially feared to be a gruesome discovery of human remains at a local recycling scrap yard in Graham County turned out to be an animal bone, according to authorities.
On Dec. 13, at approximately 5:46 p.m., deputies from the Graham County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a possible shoe containing a human bone at the Metal Mite recycling property on N. Safford Bryce Road.
The property owner contacted Graham County Dispatch after being alerted by a man who had been walking on the property with his 14-year-old son and their dog. The man told deputies that his son noticed the dog carrying what appeared to be a shoe with a human foot inside it.
The man, who regularly visits the site to search for restorable items, immediately left the property and notified the property owner, who then called authorities.
Upon arrival, deputies were led by the man to the northeast corner of the property, where they located an L-shaped bone surrounded by rotting flesh and what resembled animal hide rather than a shoe.
“The bone did not appear to be human or replicate a human bone,” the responding deputy noted in his report. The item was photographed, collected, and booked into evidence at the Graham County Highway Department for further investigation. A search of the surrounding area yielded no additional remains.
Graham County Sheriff P.J. Allred confirmed the initial concern but emphasized that preliminary observations pointed to animal origins.
No violations were cited, and the case was cleared with no further immediate action required. Authorities continue to hold the remains pending any additional analysis if deemed necessary.
