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Two of five feet found at shore are from same man, DNA shows

  • Story Highlights
  • Authorities match right foot and left foot found on Canadian shores to same male
  • DNA tests reveal that a right foot found on May 22 belongs to a female
  • Investigators have eliminated 130 people from a list of 243 missing persons
  • Feet not severed, but separated from bodies through decomposition, police say
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(CNN) -- Two of five feet that have washed up on the shores of British Columbia are from the same person, but authorities believe they are a long way from solving the mystery of where they came from.

The British Columbia Coroners Service said Thursday that DNA tests indicate a right foot found on February 8 and a left foot found on June 16 were from the same male. The office also determined that a right foot found on May 22 belongs to a female.

But authorities still don't know whom they belong to or how they have come to wash up on shores near Vancouver, British Columbia, in the past 12 months. Map: See where the feet were found »

Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokeswoman Constable Annie Linteau said forensic examinations suggested the feet were not severed or "mechanically removed" from the bodies.

"The evidence shows that the feet were separated from their bodies by a natural process of decomposition," Linteau said in a press conference Thursday.

Investigators have eliminated 130 people from a list of 243 missing persons, while authorities continue to examine multiple possibilities for the origin of the feet, including foul play and the chance they belonged to victims of a plane crash.

The five feet were found in running shoes. Four of the shoes were made between 2003 and 2004, according to police, and the other was made in 1999. The RCMP released photos of the shoes hoping someone can help identify the remains.

"We are asking anyone who may have had their loved one last seen wearing this particular pair of shoes to contact us immediately," Linteau said.

What was believed to be the sixth human foot to wash up on the shores of British Columbia was determined to be a hoax last month.

Here is a timeline of the discoveries in British Columbia, according to police:

August 20, 2007

The first foot is found by an American man and his 12-year-old daughter boating near Jedidiah Island. The shoe is later identified as a Campus brand running shoe, primarily white with blue mesh and is believed to be a size 12. It is determined that it was produced in 2003 and distributed primarily in India.

August 26

The second foot is found on Gabriola Island by a resident walking on a trail. The shoe is a size 12 men's Reebok running shoe, primarily white in color. It was produced in 2004 and distributed globally mostly in North America. It was first available on March 1, 2004 and is no longer available for purchase.

February 2, 2008

The third foot is found by two forest workers on Valdez Island. The shoe is a size 11 blue and white Nike running shoe, made in 2003 and sold in Canada and the United States from February 1 to June 30, 2003.

May 22

The fourth foot is found on Kirkland Island by the local caretaker walking along the shoreline. The size 7 blue and white New Balance running shoe was made in 1999 and distributed in major retail stores. DNA tests later determine the remains belong to a female.

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June 16

A fifth foot is found on Westham Island, in the same Nike shoe as the third foot found on Valdez Island. DNA tests later determine both feet belong to the same male.

All About Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceBritish Columbia

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