Body of missing 18-year-old in ‘remote’ bonfire pile leads to man’s arrest, cops say
A man was arrested and charged weeks after an 18-year-old’s body was found in a “remote” bonfire pile in Arizona, authorities said.
Parker League was visiting Arizona from Nebraska when he disappeared, deputies said in a probable cause statement.
His body was found June 12 burned “beyond recognition” in a bonfire pile in the Bulldog Canyon area, also known as The Pit, in the Tonto National Forest, deputies said.
Dental records matched the remains to League, and an autopsy showed he was stabbed in the back multiple times, authorities said.
League was seen leaving a club with Anthonie Ruinard Jr., 37, and a woman at 3:47 a.m. on June 11, deputies said.
About 45 minutes later, video surveillance shows him going into an Arco station with Ruinard, deputies said. It was the last time he was seen on camera.
Ruinard was then seen using League’s cards at multiple locations, deputies said.
Investigators said they searched Ruinard’s car and found multiple spots of League’s blood inside and outside the vehicle.
Deputies also said they found cocaine in his home and vehicle.
Ruinard was arrested July 5.
Some of the charges he faces include first-degree murder, abandonment or concealment of a dead body, possession of a narcotic drug, credit card theft and fraudulent use of a credit card, police said.
Bulldog Canyon is about 30 miles northeast of Tempe.
This story was originally published July 7, 2023 at 6:36 PM with the headline "Body of missing 18-year-old in ‘remote’ bonfire pile leads to man’s arrest, cops say."
