ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A group of Canadian tourists made a gruesome discovery Tuesday outside the Florida home they were renting for the holidays when they spotted a severed human leg that had washed ashore.
According to St. Petersburg police spokesman Mike Puetz, the family walked outside the home Tuesday morning to view the sunrise over Tampa Bay, and that’s when they found the human leg.
“We don’t think the leg has been in the water that long. We’re still trying to identify the age, sex and race of this person,” Puetz said.
Detectives searched the entire area, including the water and found nothing. There were no other human remains, no clothing and nothing to suggest a crime.
There have been no missing persons reports filed in the area that would be consistent with a leg having been dumped in the water 24 to 48 hours ago and further complicating matters, there have also been no reported boating accidents in the area.
“There is a lot of boats that come in and out of other countries,” Puetz added. “We don’t want to get too far afield but obviously there is a pretty wide net that we have to consider.”
Detectives said the leg appears to be a right leg, but there was no foot attached from which to pull prints.
It also appeared to be from a heavyset individual and was clean-shaven, suggesting it may be from a woman, but that had not yet been confirmed by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
There were also no shoes, socks or other clothing to help police with clues.
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