The mystery surrounding the human bones that a hunter discovered in a forest in Estrie on Saturday morning could go on for weeks.
“He came here to call the police because he didn’t have a cell phone and had just found bones,” said a woman who doesn’t want to be identified and lives on Melbourne’s Valley Road.
His house, nestled between a river and mountainous fields, is the only one nearby, just a few hundred yards from where the hunter made the macabre discovery around 9:30 a.m.
“He didn’t seem too panicky,” added the resident, who was making a campfire with relatives during our visit.
Photo agency QMI, Thierry Laforce
Because the remains are human, the forensic identification team and chief detectives went to the scene, said Stéphane Tremblay, spokesman for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
In the early evening, police were still busy combing the crime scene along the small gravel road in a large rural area.
long investigation
However, it could be weeks or even months before we know the person’s identity and the circumstances of his death, said François Doré, retired lieutenant of the SQ.
“First, the police search the site for clues like a crime scene. They want to find things, like clothing, a wallet or even a piece of jewelry that they could link to a missing person,” he explained.
Photo agency QMI, Thierry Laforce
Sûreté du Québec police officers searched the area where the bones were found for most of the day Saturday. Valley Road in Melbourne, Estrie was also closed to prevent motorists from driving there.
The bones are also analyzed at the unique forensic science and medicine laboratory in Montreal. Among other things, the specialists will look for DNA traces “to see if they could find a match in the database”.
“Through examinations and samples, they can determine whether it is a woman or a man, as well as the age. These elements will narrow the possible leads for investigators,” said the ex-cop.
Depending on their condition, the bones can reveal many clues. “We can determine whether the person has suffered injuries, for example from an animal, a gun or a blunt object,” explained Mr Doré.
suspicious death
Murder, suicide, natural death: For the time being, the SQ does not rule out any evidence to explain the death that is considered suspicious.
“I’ve never heard of anyone getting lost in the area,” said Jean-Pierre Lavallée, who walked a little higher up Valley Road with his wife and their small dog on Saturday.
The latter hopes that no murder case will take shape in the area in which he lives, which he has always described as family and quiet.
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