Authorities are investigating after a body was pulled from a canal near the Tempe–Mesa border early Saturday morning, turning a normally uneventful stretch of waterway into an active crime scene in the middle of the night.
Tempe police located the person in the water just west of University Drive and Dobson Road at about 1 a.m. Because of where the scene sits, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has taken over the probe. The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner will determine the person's cause and manner of death, and officials have not released an identity.
According to Arizona's Family, Tempe officers recovered the body from the canal and contacted MCSO, which assumed control of the investigation due to the location. The outlet reported the recovery happened around 1 a.m. just west of University and Dobson roads, and said detectives are still working the case and collecting evidence. Officials have not provided any further details about how the person ended up in the water.
Where It Happened
The area just west of University and Dobson runs along an irrigation canal corridor that marks part of the Tempe–Mesa boundary and ties into a larger network of Valley waterways. A separate recovery in April was covered in turns quiet Phoenix block into crime scene, and ABC15 has previously reported other canal recoveries in Tempe and near the Loop 101 corridor. Together, those incidents highlight how fast urban canals can shift from routine infrastructure to active scenes for first responders and investigators.
Investigation Underway
Detectives with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office are leading the investigation, and the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner will determine manner and cause of death, according to Arizona's Family. Authorities have not released any identifying information and have not announced any arrests, while investigators continue to process the scene. This story will be updated as officials release additional information.
