Ontario Provincial Police are hoping that two people believed to have been in the woods near an abandoned school at the centre of a murder investigation come forward.
The appeal comes about a week after a youth was pronounced dead in hospital and another youth was charged with first-degree murder in Central Huron. Police have only described the accused and victim as “youths” but Global News has confirmed the accused is a 13-year-old boy and local media outlets reported the victim was a 12-year-old girl.
According to Thursday’s update, police have reason to believe that two people were in the wooded area near the former Holmesville Public School, southeast of Goderich, between 12 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. on July 2 and that they “have information that could assist the investigation but have not yet come forward.”
When asked, police said they have no information about the suspected ages of the witnesses as “they were observed from a distance.”
Emergency services were first called to the Cutline Road address, between Parr and Tipperary lines, at 4:18 p.m. July 2. A youth was found, taken to hospital and pronounced dead, police said.
“While we acknowledge the public interest in this case, investigators are asking that the privacy of the families be respected, along with the court-ordered publication bans,” police said Thursday.
The unidentified accused appeared in court in Goderich on Thursday and remains in custody. The investigation is ongoing.