Found foot belonged to bear, not child

By Staff
Jonathan Willis
A foot found over the weekend turned out to be that of a bear, not from a small child, officials said.
Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said forensic experts in Huntsville notified him Thursday that the remains found in a wooded area of Hester Heights subdivision Saturday were "most probably a sub adult bear."
"They said that it was not a human foot," Hargett said.
Officials spent four days searching for other possible human remains after a family dog drug the foot home Saturday night.
Initially two Russellville doctors, one at the hospital emergency room and later an orthopedic surgeon, said they believed the remains were that of a young child.
Experts said a black bear's paw closely resembles a human foot, especially when it's decaying.
"I am just glad that it was not that of a person," Hargett said. "We will just close that case now."
John Cook, whose dog found the remains near his Circle Drive home, said he was relieved to learn that it was not a child's foot.
"I think the Russellville Police Department and the HEMSI units did a great job working on this case and looking into everything," Cook said. "I think they did all they could to investigate this. I am just thrilled that it was not a human foot and nothing had happened to anyone."
Questions now arise as to where a bear came from. There have been no reports of bears in Franklin County in many years.