SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. - A foot fished from a landfill was not the human variety. Cleaned and X-rayed, the appendage was determined to be apelike, authorities said Monday.

The discovery Saturday prompted a search through 127 tons of garbage, which ended following the medical analysis of the foot at the state forensics lab in Richmond.

"The good news is that we don't have a homicide," Spotsylvania Sheriff Howard Smith said.

About 35 fire, rescue and sheriff's employees had been looking through the garbage for about an hour Monday and all day Sunday.


Smith said they will not look for the remainder of the apelike species.

The foot appeared to have been cleanly sawed off above the ankle, and Smith said there was just skin and bone, no hair.

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/02/12/ap/strange/d8n8egtg1.txt