An Arizona restaurant owner was indicted on multiple felony counts after he allegedly killed and dismembered a teenager before abandoning his body in a burn pile known as "the Pit."
Anthonie Ruinard Jr., 38, was first arrested for allegedly killing 18-year-old Parker League, last July. Ruinard was the owner of Tuscon's Pastiche Modern Eatery before a small fire shuttered the business in 2021.
League arrived in Arizona on June 9th, with plans to visit his friends. He was last seen alive on June 11th - in surveillance footage with Ruinard. League's family reported him missing on June 12 and his body was discovered in Tonto National Forest on the same day.
"The victim had been dismembered, stabbed, and burned beyond recognition," the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said in a statement. "The Office of the Medical Examiner used dental records to identify the victim."
In July, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shared that they found video footage of League's bank card being used at multiple locations, including an Arco gas station in Chandler, Arizona.
"Video footage from an Arco gas station in Chandler, AZ on June 11th showed Parker and the suspect, Anthonie leaving the store together in a black Dodge Challenger," the sheriff's office said.
"Detectives served a search warrant on Anthonie's house and sized multiple items. While processing the Dodge Challenger, detectives located forensic evidence in the trunk, which was tested using a Rapid DNA resulting in a positive match for Parker's DNA."
Following the initial arrest, Ruinard's case was submitted to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell's office in October.
"Experienced homicide prosecutors in my office combed through nearly 4,000 pages of material submitted in this homicide case. After five months of careful review, we were able to secure this indictment," Mitchell said in a press release. "This is the next step in bringing justice to Parker League and his family."
Ruinard was indicted on charges of second-degree murder and abandonment or concealment of a dead body. His case is expected to go to trial in July.
