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Arizona authorities investigate after body found on hiking trail

Person of interest in custody
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Arizona authorities are investigating after human remains were found on a Tucson-area hiking trail.

Pima County Medical Examiner, Doctor Greg Hess says the body was partially decomposed but he doesn't know how long the body was outside before it was discovered.

"We have not determined cause or manner of death yet. We did confirm that mountain lions were feeding on the remains, probably post-mortim, we do not have an indication that the mountain lions in question were responsible for the person's death. It was one person to our knowledge."

He says most of the unknown information will be revealed once the body is identified.

Dr. Greg Hess says, "Often times the identity of the individual helps with the story of what happened. We will eventually come up with a cause and manner of death as we receive all of our information and identity of the individual."

According to the Pima County Sheriff's Department, they have a person of interest in custody in connection to the investigation of the remains found in Pima Canyon.

21-year-old Daylan Jacob Thornton was arrested for auto theft, police say.

Authorities say the vehicle Thornton was driving belongs to Steven Brashear from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, who went missing in December.

Deputies say the remains have not been positively identified.

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