The body of Parker League (left) was found burned in a bonfire pit in Arizona (Picture: 10/11 NOW/12 News)
The body of a missing teenager from Nebraska was found in a bonfire pit in the Arizona desert, authorities said.
On Monday, June 12, a body was found in a remote area in Bulldog Canyon, just northeast of Apache Junction, Arizona.
The body was found smoldering in a makeshift fire pit used for bonfires, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said.
On Thursday, investigators identified the body as belonging to Parker League, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate from Nebraska who was reported missing on June 15.
The remains of the fire pit in Bulldog Canyon (Picture: 10/11 NOW)
League was visiting his father, who lives in Tempe, Arizona, when he disappeared. His last known location was a friend’s home in Tempe, where investigators found his belongings.
The sheriff’s office has released very few details about League’s death, including his cause and exact time of death. They did describe the teen’s death as ‘malicious,’ and confirmed it is being investigated by the MCSO’s Homicide Unit.
Investigators have released no information about a possible suspect in the teen’s tragic death.
One Apache Junction resident who lives near the canyon told News 12 that people use the area for off-roading, throwing parties, and burning furniture, but also said crime in the area was ‘steadily increasing.’
‘Everybody kind of looks the other way until something like this happens,’ the neighbor said.
The case draws some similarities to the disappearance of Kiely Rodni, a 16-year-old recent high school graduate who disappeared in the wilderness last summer.
Rodni, 16, attended a party the night before she disappeared, which was held at a remote campground on the shore of Prosser Lake in Truckee, California.
Rodni’s body was eventually discovered in her car, which was submerged in the northern California lake. Her death was ruled accidental after no evidence of foul play was found.
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The body was found smoldering in a makeshift fire pit used for bonfires, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.