HT DrudgeTUCSON, Ariz. -- An empty casket with a military seal was discovered in a desert area south of Tucson, and sheriff's deputies were looking for the body. "Obviously it had the smell, and there was other evidence that it had been inhabited recently," Deputy Dawn Barkman said Sunday. Forensic investigators took DNA samples, and a nationwide alert was issued in hopes of finding out who was the recently-used casket, Barkman said. Deputies were called to a desert area near Interstate 10 around 5:30 p.m. Saturday after two people playing paintball found the casket, Barkman said. The casket was metallic silver with a U.S. Army insignia on it, she said.
Okay, W.T.F.? First thoughts on this is that it's some sick jerks like those animal rights corpse thieves in the UK, so I filed this as Fifth Column WoT Politix.
Mystery solved:
UCSON, Arizona (AP) -- An empty casket with a military seal discovered in the desert was discarded by a mortuary after the deceased's family requested that the body be exhumed and cremated, authorities said. Mortuary employees contacted authorities Sunday after seeing news accounts about the discovery. No information was given on who had been buried in the casket.
Deputy Dawn Barkman, a spokeswoman for the Pima County Sheriff's Office, said the casket was taken to a landfill after the body was exhumed in late May. Someone took it from the landfill, then dumped it, he said.