Hand and foot found along river belonged to missing Independence man, sheriff says

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. - The Jackson County Sheriff Monday identified the human remains found earlier this summer in two separate spots along an Independence trail.

Sheriff Mike Sharp the hand found on June 25 and the foot found July 3 belonged to 28-year-old Christopher Porter, a man missing since February and who is now confirmed dead.

Sharp said Porter was last seen Feb. 1, 2012.

The Independence Police Department searched an area near E. 39th Street and East Pink Hill Road on March 6 on “good reason” he or his body would be in the area, department spokesman Tom Gentry said the day of the search.

The discoveries of Porter’s hand and foot were made about 10 miles apart on the Little Blue River.

The shoe was a size 13 men’s black Nike tennis shoe, Sharp said in a news conference after it was found.

The hand was sent to the University of Texas for forensic testing.

Investigators worked on the case for countless hours and enlisted the help of several other local police agencies, Sharp said in a statement announcing Monday’s news conference.

Sharp said now that identification has been made, the case will move back to the Independence Police Department.

Porter’s cause of death and the whereabouts of the rest of his remains remained unclear.