Human remains in desert still unidentified months after discovery, Arizona cops say

Human remains were found in the Arizona desert months ago — and still haven’t been identified, officials said.

The remains were found in the desert on Oct. 17 in “the area south of U.S. 60 and E. Peralta Trail Rd,” the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said. The remains had already started to decompose, so they were unrecognizable.

Even after months of trying, officials haven’t been able to identify them.

The sheriff’s office released new forensic sketches Dec. 14 showing what the person — believed to be male — may have looked like when he was still alive.

“The Pinal County Medical Examiner was recently able to determine this person appears to be male, likely 40 years or older, and could have been deceased anywhere from six months to three years,” the sheriff’s office said.

Officials think the person may have been of “mixed ancestry.”

A purple shirt and a pair of gray New Balance shoes were found near the remains, but authorities aren’t certain the clothing belonged to the person.

“If you know who this person might be, please give PCSO a call at 520-866-5111,” the sheriff’s office said.

This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 10:02 AM with the headline "Human remains in desert still unidentified months after discovery, Arizona cops say."