Scottsdale police hunting for killer of ‘beloved’ Special Olympics athlete

PHOENIX – Scottsdale police are working to find the killer of a “beloved” member of the city’s Special Olympics and adaptive recreation programs.

Scott Harkness, 59, was found on the side of the road near Camelback and Hayden roads after gunshots were reported in the area around 1 a.m. Sunday, according to the Scottsdale Police Department. Harkness, who’d been shot, was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, police said.

“This is an incredibly sad thing that has happened here with this and we just really feel horrible and just really are looking to help bring justice to him and the family and the community with our investigative efforts,” Officer Aaron Bolin, a Scottsdale police spokesman, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday.

Bolin said Harkness was a popular figure in Scottsdale’s special needs community.

“It’s so sad, especially for our adaptive recreation community and our program there,” Bolin said.

“He was a very beloved and involved member in that, was a very active athlete in the Special Olympics program for the city of Scottsdale, and many, many people knew him through his affiliation with those programs.”

Bolin said there is no indication a threat to the greater public exists in relation to the case.

“There’s some information that we’re not going to release just yet, but there are some things that we’re looking into further as the investigation goes,” he said. “Any additional information would be helpful so that we can continue to piece together what led up to this horrible, tragic event.”

Anybody with information about the case was asked to call Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (948-6377) or 480-TESTIGO (837-8446) for Spanish.

The Scottsdale Police Department also has an online tip line.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Debra Dale contributed to this report.

Related

Husband says wife routinely abused grandchildren before 11-year-old's death in ScottsdaleRetired Gilbert fire captain honored after dying from job-related cancerStorms make way into Valley with strong winds, scattered showers causing power outages4-year-old boy dies a month after being pulled from Phoenix apartment poolTucson Police identify, charge mass shooting suspect who left 9 injuredNBA star James Harden among investors bringing Smiling Moose Sandwich Grill to Scottsdale