By Rick Pusiak
Ontario Provincial Police are a little closer to identifying human remains found in Burwash township late last year.
Acting Det. Insp. Scott Tod of the Criminal Investigation Branch in Orillia said police have a lead that with some forensic and DNA testing should establish a name.
The remains are believed to be those of a young man between the ages of 16 and 25.
?We?re hoping that with our searches that we?ve done on the missing person?s registries that we?re close to?identifying the remains,? said Tod.
?We?ve been in contact with some of the family. We?ve only let them know we will do some further testing to make a positive identification.?
Late last October, hunters found the human remains in a densely wooded area just south of Estaire, off Highway 69, and brought the items to the Sudbury detachment.
Police went back to the bush site, cordoned off the area and found more items. It isn?t known what those items are.
The search area involved a piece of Crown land that had been leased.
On the property was a small cottage-type building with a collapsed roof, possibly from the weight of a winter?s heavy snowfall.
Two rusted out vehicles were also in the vicinity.
The on-site examination was just one part of a lengthy investigation.
?It?s very time consuming,? said Tod.
?It?s a lengthy search of all the missing person?s registries, different data bases across Canada. Along with that it?s the identification process?certainly we?re relying on scientific technology at this point.?
Some of the remains were sent to the Office of the Chief Coroner in Toronto for dental examination by a forensic odontologist, essentially a forensic dentist.
At this point the case hasn?t been listed as involving suspected foul play.
?Right now it?s found remains, combined with a missing person?s investigation,? said Tod.
?I wouldn?t be able to speculate any further beyond this point?once we establish the identity of the remains of course that?s the first step in any death investigation afterwards.?
Two forensic experts from Laurentian University, including pathologist Scott Fairgrieve, helped examine the area where the remains were found.
The local militia unit also pitched in and set up tents for the investigating team.
