ST. LOUIS _ Hikers made a grisly discovery when they looked inside a shoe on a hiking trail and found a human foot.
St. Louis County police say the hikers found the foot Sept. 4 at Bee Tree Park in south St. Louis County, Mo.
The park is at 2701 Finestown Road, between Becker Road and the Mississippi River.
Police only revealed the information on Monday, a week after the hikers' discovery. Police say they were notified about 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4.
The hikers had been walking along the western banks of the Mississippi River when they found a tennis shoe. It was red, between sizes 11 and 14. Police weren't more specific in describing the shoe.
The hikers looked more closely and saw what they thought was a foot. Police say it was indeed a human foot. They haven't determined the race of the victim.
Police kept the discovery quiet for a week while they searched the area with police dogs, and also did an air and water search. No other human remains were found, and police wanted to keep curiousity seekers away.
"We did not want the park and immediate area to be compromised," said Officer Benjamin Granda, a spokesman for St. Louis County Police.
Now that their search is exhausted, Granda said it was time to go public.
