MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The human remains found in an alligator-infested canal Thursday have been identified as belonging to a St. Lucie County man, according to Martin County deputies.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that detectives found an arm, hand, and part of a leg after an alligator was spotted “guarding the body part” on the Hungryland Preserve, about 30 miles northwest of West Palm Beach.
A second body part was found in a different canal about a mile away. Deputies said the remains were found in what appeared to be a shallow grave.
Using fingerprints from the severed arm, a medical examiner identified the remains as belonging to Dustin Davis Mills, 42, of St. Lucie County.
Mills, authorities say, served time in prison for manufacturing, sale and delivery of marijuana; trafficking in illegal substances; resisting arrest with violence; and battery on law enforcement or firefighter. He was released in February 2020.
Mills is believed to be the victim of a homicide and his remains had signs of being “removed with a sharp instrument,” according to deputies.
The sheriff’s office asked anyone with information on Mills’ death to call deputies at 772-220-7060.
