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STOCKTON, Tooele County -- The investigation has wrapped up at the scene of a body found northwest of a subdivision west of Stockton. Police say they have the information they need to continue piecing together how a badly decomposed body ended up near farm property northwest of a subdivision in Stockton.
Early Monday morning, investigators returned to the scene of that body found near the East Benches South Rim subdivision.
Tooele County Sheriff Frank Park says County Attorney Doug Hogan owns property in that area and came across the remains about 5 p.m. Sunday while checking spring runoff in the area.
"[He] come upon what appeared to be the bottom torso of a body," said Park.
The remains were collected over a wide area in a field. They were believed to be spread out by water runoff and animals.
No identification was found with the remains.
Initial reports indicate the remains are male, based on a pair of jeans found near the remains, but Park said that it's going to take a while to determine how and why the body ended up there.
"Today the medical examiner's office has given us a couple of anthropologists, hopefully to determine the gender and the age of the body," Park said.
Park said that if someone wanted to dump a body, there were better places in the area to do so, but it wouldn't be unusual to see people in the area.
"It's not terribly remote, but it's also not terribly far enough away that people would come out here and just wander," Park said.
Officials have already said they do not believe the remains are those of a missing Dugway soldier, Spec. Joseph Bushling. And if the victim is confirmed to be male, it would eliminate the possibility of being missing West Valley mother Susan Powell.
In the past, searches for missing West Valley woman Susan Powell have been conducted in remote areas of Tooele County. Her husband Josh Powell told police he took his two young boys camping there Dec. 7, 2009, the night his wife disappeared. His story has been the subject of intense public scrutiny. Police called him a person of interest in the case.
While he can't confirm the remains are male, Park said investigators are leaning that way.
Park said he did not know of anyone from the area who has been reported missing recently.
Story written by Nkoyo Iyamba with contributions from Pat Reavy.
