Severed human foot launches investigation of murder

A suburban Atlanta woman thought it was a mere Halloween prank when her dog brought home a severed foot.

Photo: Severed human foot launches investigation of murder

But after the dog owner contacted the Newton County Sheriff's Office, authorities launched a homicide investigation and found other dismembered parts of a woman's body, said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Bill Watterson.

"Her dog had it and she didn't know if it was fake or if it was real," Watterson said. "The dog had it out by the house."

The foot was found early Tuesday in a heavily wooded, sparsely populated area near a highway in Newton County. Teams of investigators later Tuesday found half of the body of a woman believed to be white or Hispanic. The body was in pieces. They believe she was slain a day ago, Watterson said.

Watterson said there have been no missing person reports fitting the woman's description.