RUSSELLVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) -- Search teams from throughout the Tennessee Valley are focusing their efforts around a Russellville neighborhood after a family's dog brought home what appears to be a small human foot last weekend.

Investigators from Huntsville and other local law enforcement agencies, along with K-9 units, have traveled to the area to assist in looking for any sort of decomposing body that might be found.

"We're looking for local features," said Laura Carr with the HEMSI search team. "Whether it be how the housing is set up or if there's a patch of woods where there was suspicious activity in."

Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said that since a dog brought the foot home, it could have traveled from miles away. Since searchers have no idea where the body part came from, they likened their efforts to a shot in the dark.

Investigators have strategically spread across the area of Franklin County where the foot may have come from, but they said they need the results of further forensic test results. Early results were found to be inconclusive in determining if the part is human.

"Sometimes they have information that's helped us on-scene immediately, and sometimes we just have to make the best of the situation," Carr said.

"Until forensic science tells us what it is, we have to go on the assumption that it's human remains, because we'd hate to not be doing something," Hargett said.

If the forensic results give investigators an age range, gender and race, they will be better able to narrow down search locations based on missing persons reports or reported crimes.

Reporter: Candace White
Web Editor: Dana Franks

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