TEMPE, Ariz. (Scripps News Phoenix) — A man is in custody in connection to the death of a missing teenager who was found in a bonfire pile in the Tonto National Forest while visiting friends in June.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says 37-year-old Anthonie Ruinard was arrested Wednesday on multiple charges connected to the death of 18-year-old Parker League.
(L) Anthonie Ruinard (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)/(R) Parker League (Family provided via Scripps News Phoenix)
League had been reported missing by the Tempe Police Department, according to MCSO. Parker’s family told Scripps News Phoenix they had reported him missing on June 15.
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“It’s hard to accept because he was the nicest kid in the world,” said Parker’s brother Hunter League.
Parker had just graduated high school in Nebraska and decided to come to Arizona to visit friends, according to his brother.
He was supposed to fly home on June 12, the day his body was found.
Authorities say video footage they obtained from multiple locations showed where Parker’s bank card was used after his remains were discovered in a burn pile in Tonto National Forest on June 12.
The June 11 footage from an Arco gas station in Chandler reportedly showed League and Ruinard leave the store together in a black Dodge Challenger. Detectives say this was the last time Parker was seen on video alive.
Detectives served a search warrant at Ruinard’s home on June 22, where they seized multiple items, including the Dodge Challenger reportedly seen in the video.
Forensic evidence showed League’s DNA was found on the outside of the vehicle and in the vehicle’s trunk.
Ruinard is facing several charges, including first-degree murder, multiple drug charges, possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, credit card theft, fraudulent use of a credit card, and abandonment/concealment of a dead body.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Phoenix, an E.W. Scripps Company.
