Body found in West Valley City drainage pipe identified as female
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) A West Valley City police detective inspects a backpack found with a body that was recovered from a storm culvert on the grounds of the the vacant Kmart building at 4100 South and 1770 West in West Valley City, Friday, April 6, 2018.
Police released a few more details about a body found Friday afternoon in a drainage pipe at a West Valley City parking lot.
Due to an “advanced state of decomposition,” police have not been able to identify the body or estimate its age, West Valley police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku said. Police did say Saturday that the body was female and that it had no signs of trauma.
It is not known how long the body had been in the water. It was spotted just before 12:20 p.m. in the parking lot of an empty K-Mart building near 4100 South and Redwood Road, according to West Valley City police Sgt. Scott Arnold.
The body was removed and transported to the state medical examiner’s office. An autopsy was conducted Saturday morning. The results, including the cause of death, are expected to be released next week.
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Aubrey started at The Tribune in November 2017 covering breaking news, crime and courts. He previously worked in Oregon covering cops and courts and in eastern Idaho as a general assignment reporter and editor. Outside of journalism, Aubrey enjoys skiing, fly fishing, craft beer and NBA basketball.