Deputy Chief Shawn Devine, speaking at Wednesday's Police Board meeting, spoke to the media afterwards with an update on the remains found in a Highway 11 Marsh. PHOTO BY CHRIS DAWSON.
It was described as a challenging investigation where at least a dozen forensic identification and North Bay Police officers trudged through muddy terrain as thick as four feet deep.
Over the weekend the remains, which police now believe to be human, were found along with a shoe in a marshy area just south of North Bay parallel to Highway 11 south.
On Wednesday morning the police released more information about the investigation and confirm that the on-site investigation in the marshy area is now complete.
“The search has been completed unless we get direction from the Coroner’s office to take it up again,” stated Deputy Chief Shawn Devine Wednesday morning.
“We as police cannot confirm they are human remains, so we have and continue to work with the coroner’s office through the centre of forensic science in Toronto. We have forwarded the findings over our two-day search to Toronto and we have our identification officer and another officer down in Toronto today.”
The police line is now down at the marsh located of highway 11 south. Police say the public has been very cooperative as no reports of any individuals compromising the investigation area have been reported. PHOTO BY CHRIS DAWSON.
In a release Wednesday morning police stated they don’t believe the remains are connected to any of the recent missing persons in the area including both Luke Joly-Durocher and Robert Aho.
“We can’t confirm but from the information that we have right now is we are suggesting that we are going in another direction,” said Devine.
Police also say they found additional remains at the site but Devine could not clarify whether they include more bones or if there was other clothing found at the site.
Devine also stated there is no timeline as to when they expect the remains to be identified.
“We will work in cooperation with the coroners office, release whatever information we can, as soon as we can, and as soon as possible,” he said.
