Mississauga house explosion: Investigators identify body of woman found in rubble

Police have confirmed the woman whose body was pulled from the rubble of a house that mysteriously exploded in Mississauga Tuesday is that of 55-year-old Dianne Page.

Investigators had earlier released the identities of two people associated with the residence, Robert Nadler and Page, and police said Thursday the explosion is now considered a criminal investigation.

Emergency crews also recovered the body of a man Thursday evening, but his identity has yet to be released.

READ MORE: Mysterious notes found at Mississauga house explosion scene may lead to cause: police

“Our homicide bureau monitors all suspicious deaths, but they are not yet involved,” said Peel Regional Police Sgt. Josh Colley, adding that the 12 Division criminal investigation bureau is leading the investigation into the explosion.

“There’s no evidence as of yet to dictate that homicide bureau is required.”

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About 700 homes were evacuated after a house located at 4201 Hickory Dr. was levelled by an explosion around 4:20 p.m. Tuesday, leaving as many as 25 neighbouring residences damaged and nine people injured.

The Globe and Mail reported Thursday that a Mississauga man with the same name and approximate age was married to a Diane Page and was convicted of killing a friend after a dispute over money in 1982 at the age of 21. Nadler was sentenced to life in prison and was eligible for parole after 10 years.

Colley would not comment on whether it is the same Nadler who owned the home, saying only that they have not yet made contact with him or Page.

“We’re not confirming any criminal background or any sort of convictions or anything like that, we’re just letting the public know that this is the name associated to the address and that’s as far as we’re going to go,” he said.

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Colley said that while the criminal investigation bureau is looking into the blast, it does not exclude the possibility that the explosion could still be deemed an accident.

He added that investigators are “actively looking” for Nadler and are concerned for his well-being, but would not classify him as a missing person.

“He has not been located, I don’t want to say that he’s missing,” he said, adding that he could not confirm investigators had made contact with family members of the deceased.

READ MORE: Explosion destroys home in Mississauga; at least 1 person dead, 25 houses damaged

Police said Wednesday that notes found at the scene of the explosion could provide insight into the cause of the blast. Colley confirmed Thursday investigators were working to match the notes to the residents of the home. 

Global News obtained one of the notes found at the scene and turned it over to police Wednesday. The notes appear to be written by a woman who complains of an inability to maintain her house due to persistent health issues.

“I just stopped caring as much because of my pain … I trust God to look after me and my husband to take us home. I sleep away my days cause I am in pain. Vertigo is the worst.”

WATCH: Investigators looking at mysterious notes found in rubble of Mississauga home explosion

2:35 Investigators looking at mysterious notes found in rubble of Mississauga home explosion

The notes also make several references to the Bible and the woman’s husband, who was also categorized as having health issues.

“Dear God, You know that my health and my husband’s health are in poor condition. We ask that you help us, we have trusted you with all of our lives and possessions because everything belongs to you; including us,” it reads.

“We have put all of our faith and trust in you. Only you can save us from man and his laws. … Why are we still here God?”

Colley said police were still working on associating the notes to someone at the residence, but added it was proving difficult.

“Because the blast site was so large and there were multiple homes that were damaged, it’s an extensive process to try to match up handwriting analysis,” he said.

Colley would not also comment on whether or not Nadler was considered dangerous in relation to reports of his alleged criminal background.

“Our number one priority is public safety and obviously we’ve said before that this is a long process and a long investigation and we will ensure that we uncover all evidence,” he said.

“If we believe that there was a public safety [concern] of course that would be the first thing, but right now our officers are working extremely hard to gather as much evidence and we don’t want to put [out] any information that’s not accurate.”

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Mississauga Fire Chief Tim Beckett said Thursday 69 homes are still under an evacuation order, and an information centre has been set up at the nearby Burnhamthorpe Community Centre to assist residents.

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s office confirmed to Global News that residents will be allowed access to 23 more properties Thursday evening, which means there are a total of 46 properties kept under an evacuation order, down from about 700 immediately after the blast.