Ariz. police to begin searching landfill for girl

February 6, 2012 at 10:51a.m.

PHOENIX (AP) — Police have started searching a landfill south of Phoenix for the body of a 5-year-old Arizona girl who has been missing for more than four months and who authorities now believe is dead.

About 20 officers wore protective gear, masks, and boots, and used rake-like tools today as they began sifting through every single piece of garbage in a 36,000-square-foot area of the Butterfield Landfill in Mobile, south of the Phoenix area.

They will search eight hours a day today through Friday for up to six weeks or shorter, depending on when and if they find the body of 5-year-old Jhessye Shockley of Glendale.

Jhessye’s mother, Jerice Hunter, was arrested on a child abuse charge related to the girl in November but was released after prosecutors said they wanted the investigation to develop more.