Police say body discovered in Dartmouth has been there ‘for quite some time’

Halifax Regional Police say a body that was discovered in a wooded area in Dartmouth has been there for a while.

A man who was walking near the 200-block of Pleasant Street on Saturday came across the remains at around 3:30 p.m. and called police.

“It appears the body has been there for quite some time. It’s pretty hard to tell with the weather conditions but it was underneath the snow,” said Staff Sgt. Barb Saunders.

“We don’t know at this time who the person is or even the gender of the person.”

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Forensic investigators and the medical examiner spent the evening scouring the scene with flashlights.

A large area was taped off next to a playground and community centre.

Saunders says police have been canvassing the neighbourhood and asking residents if they’ve seen anything. They will also be looking at footage from security cameras in the area, as well as checking the list of missing people in the city.

“If anybody has any information or any knowledge or are in the area and can provide us with that information, certainly give us a call,” she said.

Police cleared the scene at around 1 p.m. on Sunday. Snow had been removed from the area where the body was found and a few markers were left behind on the trees.

An autopsy will be conducted but hasn’t been scheduled yet.