LENOX TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) 鈥 Police have ended a five-month search at a rural landfill for the remains of a 17-year-old suburban Detroit girl who disappeared in early January.
Investigators have said they believe Zion Foster's in a dumpster, which later was emptied into a garbage truck and taken about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northeast of Detroit to Lenox Township.
Searchers at the end of May at Pine Tree Acres landfill but came up empty even after going through 3,500 truckloads 鈥 7,500 tons (6,800 metric tons) 鈥 of material from Michigan and Canada.
Police believed they were in the right area based on GPS readings from the truck and other evidence.
鈥淓nding the search without recovering Zion鈥檚 remains is very difficult for all of us,鈥 Detroit Police Chief James White said Friday. 鈥滻 can only imagine the pain Zion鈥檚 family is going through, and we all certainly share in that pain."
No one has been charged in her death, though a cousin, Jaylin Brazier, that he was present when she died. He is in prison for lying to investigators.
Investigators have submitted a warrant package to the Wayne County prosecutor鈥檚 office for review.
鈥淲hile this operation has concluded, our investigation has not, and we are confident in the work our investigators have done," White said.
Zion, a high school senior from Eastpointe, was wearing a fast-food uniform when she was last seen. Eastpointe borders Detroit, but Detroit police took charge because the death occurred in the city.
