A woman found dead near Mammoth, Arizona, with “self-inflicted injuries” was identified as 15-year-old Ryker Lee’s mother, the teen who previously went missing, deputies said.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office received a tip about a man having a mental health crisis east of Mammoth around 5 a.m. on Sept. 27, said Sam Salzwedel, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office. A deputy drove to the location and found the man with what appeared to be self-inflicted injuries, Salzwedel said.
The deputy also found a dead woman with similar injuries, he said. The woman was Danielle Lee-Sharp, 39.
The unidentified man was transported to a Tucson hospital, according to Salzwedel.
Lee-Sharp was facing three child abuse charges alongside her husband, Michael Menzie.
It was unclear if Menzie was the man taken to the hospital or what his condition was.
Pima County Sheriff's Department arrived at a home in the Three Points area southwest of Tucson after receiving reports that Lee had run away and was last seen at the home in the midmorning of Sept. 22.
There, deputies “uncovered evidence of child abuse involving three children,” according to a news release from the department.
In court records, deputies wrote that the home’s conditions were “unsuitable” and were a “health concern” for the children, according to court documents. The 15-year-old’s living space was a run-down RV that had no running water, bathroom or air-conditioning, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Lee was located on Sept. 25, near Sierrita Mountain Road and Ajo Highway east of his home, the Sheriff’s Department said.
“Ryker and his two siblings remain in custody of the Arizona Department of Child Safety,” said Angelica Carrillo, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department.
She stated it was an active investigation and the Sheriff’s Department was working with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mother of Tucson teen at center of abuse case found dead
