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Missing Queen Creek teen could be body found in Glendale backyard

Police announced Thursday that a teenager reported missing last year out of Queen Creek could be the body recently discovered in Glendale.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Human remains recently discovered by landscapers on a Glendale property may belong to a 16-year-old who has been missing for several months.

On June 8, the decomposing body of a teenage boy was found in the backyard of a home located near 51st Avenue and Cactus Road. The residents of the home were reportedly unaware of the body until landscapers came out to clear overgrown grass from the property.

VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: El cuerpo encontrado en Glendale puede ser de un adolescente que tenía reporte de desaparecido

The Glendale Police Department announced Thursday that the body could be a teenage boy who was last seen in Queen Creek in October 2023. 

Police have not released a name since autopsy results are still pending. Investigators connected the case to the East Valley teen after receiving a tip from the person who drew a distinct tattoo found on the teen's remains.

The boy's death does not appear to be a homicide and his injuries seem to have been self-inflicted, police said.

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