ASHFOLK, Ariz. — A welfare investigation of a man in Ashfork, Ariz., who had not received mail in some time had led investigators to a mystery, officials said.
>> Read more trending news
In the news release Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Lawmakers received a call from the U.S. Post Office in Ashfork on April 7 about a man who hadn’t received any mail in over a year, according to the report. The man was identified as John McCabe, 67, and officers visited his home for a welfare check.
When lawmakers arrived at McCabe’s compound, they reportedly ran into another man, Terry Werfenberg, 76. KTVK. He told lawmakers that McCabe quit two years ago. He also claimed to have broken into the property, stole some of the guns, and lived there for some time.
Sheriffs contacted detectives to assist with the investigation based on Werfenberg’s strange behavior and the suspicious circumstances behind McCabe’s disappearance. news media report.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division was unable to determine whether Mr. McCabe was alive and moved out. sheriff’s office They said they searched the property. Werfenberg was arrested and charged with burglary and theft of firearms.
During a search of the property, volunteers found skull fragments in a fire pit near the trailer. Investigators said they obtained a search warrant and found other bones. sheriff’s office. Three forensic laboratories have found the bones to be human.
A few days later, another search was conducted, and investigators found a medical ID bracelet and wallet in McCabe’s possession. sheriff’s office Said.
Sheriff David Rose said, “What was supposed to be a simple welfare check on a man who had simply left the area turned out to be a far worse check, due to the instincts of the responding officers and the tenacity of the CIB detectives. It turned out to be something,” he said.of news release. “A suspected murderer is now in custody, and justice may be given to a man whose tragic death may have never been discovered.”
It is not clear whether the body was definitively identified as McCabe. KTVK report.
Additional charges, including murder charges, are pending. sheriff’s office Said.
