A fisherman on the New Jersey Shore made an unsettling discovery — a black, high-top sneaker with the remains of a foot inside.
State police asked Wednesday for any information from the public. The fisherman found the shoe Tuesday afternoon. It was an Adidas size 5½, for the right foot, and some of the toes had nail polish on them, police said.
Police said they had not determined the age of the person. They said the remains would be sent to a state anthropologist for DNA testing. The shoe was found at Corson’s Inlet State Park, about 15 miles down the shore from Atlantic City.
At least a dozen detached feet have washed up along the coast of British Columbia and Washington State since 2007, most inside shoes or boots, and including at least one matching pair.
Forensics experts have noted that the relative weakness of the ankle can cause a decomposing body to separate there.