Thursday, March 28, 2024

Police presence in Topaz Park continues after buried body found on Tuesday

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For the third day straight, police continue to investigate an area near Topaz Park where a body was found buried on August 22.

A large area has been cordoned off since the discovery, and little information has been released so far. A heavy police presence remains.

The BC Coroner Service has since removed the body from the area.

The RCMP Island District released the following statement on Wednesday:

The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU), with the assistance of VicPD investigators are investigating after a deceased person was located yesterday afternoon.  

Shortly before 4:00 p.m,  August 22nd, 2017,  VicPD patrol members were called to the 900 block of Topaz Ave after a report of a sudden death. Officers quickly attended and out of an abundance of caution cordoned off the area. VIIMCU, VicPD Major Crime Detectives, the Forensic Identification Section and the Crowd Management Unit Search Team are all being utilized in the investigation. Officers continue to process the scene.

We will continue to work with the Coroners Service to determine the identity and cause of death.

What We Know:

According to the Times Colonist, the body was found by an excavation crew when they experienced a foul smell.

The excavator operator said that the body appeared to have been covered in a tarp or tent and was buried a “good depth”.

According to CHEK News, RCMP officers conducted grid searches – a tactic involving the careful marking, photographing, and collecting of potential evidence – on Topaz Avenue and the surrounding area on Thursday.

The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit is investigating, however, the RCMP haven’t said if foul play is suspected.

The RCMP announced on Thursday, August 24, that the public is not at risk.

Update: On Friday morning, investigators were seen excavating and sifting through sand.

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Alistair Ogden
Former staff writer at Victoria Buzz.

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