BUCKEYE, Ariz. — A man's body was discovered April 10 at the Southwest Regional Landfill near Buckeye, officials said. Now, police are asking for the public's help in the investigation.
The Buckeye Police Department said officers were dispatched at about 11:30 a.m. to the landfill after a dead man had been discovered at the site.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Se necesita ayuda del público después de que se encontró un cuerpo en un vertedero al sur de Buckeye
Officials eventually identified the man as 60-year-old Shawn "Short Dog" Woodruff. Woodruff was a homeless man known to frequent areas around State Route 51 and Thomas Road in Phoenix.
Woodruff was reportedly among the refuse that had been delivered to the site earlier that day. The part of the landfill where he was found receives refuse from multiple stations throughout the Valley, making it difficult to know where Woodruff's body came from, police said.
Woodruff's body didn't show obvious signs of how he died, and the medical examiner is still investigating.
Anyone with information on Woodruff's last known whereabouts and activities is urged to call the Buckeye Police Department at 623-349-6411 or leave a tip online at www.buckeyeaz.gov/crimetip.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.