Human remains found buried in rural area of Pickering, police say

The Canadian Press

Police are investigating after they say human remains were found buried in a shallow grave in Pickering, Ont.

Durham Regional Police say homicide investigators were called to the rural area of Concession Road 8 and Sideline 20 on Sunday afternoon after a resident found burned human remains.

Speaking to reporters at the scene on Monday, spokesperson Sgt. Joanne Bortoluss said the body was discovered on an off-road ATV trail about 500 metres east of the road.

“The most important thing that the homicide unit is looking for right now is anyone that might have been on that ATV trail in the last three weeks,” Bortoluss said. Police are also looking for surveillance video from the area, she said.

Forensic investigators, a forensic anthropologist and the office of the province’s chief coroner are working to recover the remains and determine what happened.

Police say an autopsy will be conducted to learn more about the deceased person such as their age and gender, but the investigation is currently in its early stages. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2022. 

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