Authorities searching for a freezer in connection to Arizona body parts case

PHOENIX — Police are working to locate a chest freezer sold by a man accused of discarding human remains in Northern Arizona last month.

Walter Mitchell, 59, was arrested in Scottsdale on Dec. 29 and booked on 28 counts of moving human remains with the intent to conceal or abandon them, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

Around 20 human limbs were discovered near Prescott in December, and five human heads were found at a different location in the county.

Authorities say they tied Mitchell to the body parts that included legs, arms and heads through tags and medical gauze that were found with the remains.

The remains probably came from a business Mitchell owned in Seattle called Future GenX, which managed cadavers for research and recently closed, YCSO previously said.

Detectives say Mitchell sold a pale yellow chest freezer at a home on Reed Road in Chino Valley sometime between mid-November and Dec. 19.

The freezer, a 1970’s to early 1980’s model with a top loading style, was likely advertised on Craigslist or a similar website.

Authorities want to speak with whoever bought the freezer or anyone who has knowledge of the sale.

Mitchell pleaded not guilty during his arraignment at Yavapai County Superior Court on Wednesday. His attorney waived a formal reading of the indictment, which charges Mitchell with 29 counts of concealing or abandoning a dead body.

Mitchell remains in custody with bond set at $250,000.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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