John Britton Britt Steele, 42, was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds in the Sonoran Desert east of Tucson Marketplace Boulevard on February 19, 2025. The body was located near Martin Luther King Jr. Way and the Tucson Police Department opened a homicide investigation.

Detectives from the Homicide Unit processed the scene and searched the surrounding arid landscape for evidence. Next of kin were notified. As of this writing the case remains unsolved: no arrests have been made, no suspects or motive have been publicly identified, and a reward of $2,500 has been offered for information that could lead to an arrest.

Anyone who was in that area on February 19 or who has information about Steele’s death is asked to contact investigators.