A bald eagle with missing feathers and feet found in late November in the Gates Pass area was legally obtained and used for a Native American ritual, officials said.
The eagle was buried in a paper bag with rocks piled atop it and was found on Nov. 21 by a person hiking in Tucson Mountain Park, Arizona Game and Fish Department officials said in a news release.
At the time, Game and Fish offered a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
The person who buried the eagle notified Game and Fish that they had a permit to have the dead eagle which was confirmed with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Mark Hart, a Game and Fish spokesman in a news release.
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