A state Department of Environmental Conservation team working with an excavator to restore an eroding bank of Springwater Creek in the Village of Springwater made a shocking find Tuesday, discovering what is believed to be a human foot.
The remains were discovered inside a sneaker in the creek. State police and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene shortly before 11:30 a.m. to conduct an investigation.
“We have a pretty good idea who it belongs to," Investigator John McNelis said.
Troopers said they believe the foot belongs to Gerald Meek, a Springwater resident reported missing in August of 2006. In January 2007, a portion of Meek’s skeletal remains were recovered in an area not far from where the foot was found Tuesday.
“The cause of his death was not determined, but there was no indications of foul play,” said McNelis. “I’m pretty confident the foot belongs to him. We have to perform (deoxyribonucleic acid) testing before we know for sure, but his original remains were located further north.”
Troopers said substantial flooding in the area within the last year could have displaced the foot from the rest of the remains. This is the first skeletal portion of Meek’s body that has been found below the torso, McNelis said.
McNelis said it will likely be weeks before the DNA tests results are returned.
The foot was transported to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester for examination.
The Evening Tribune
