Police believe a woman’s body discovered in Duncan on Friday morning may be that of missing 18-year-old Tyeshia Jones.
The body was discovered around 11 a.m. in a wooded area off Indian Road, police said in a news release issued Friday afternoon. Police believe foul play was involved.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP and the RCMP Forensic Identification Section are investigating. The BC Coroners Service is also involved.
Official confirmation of identity and cause of death are pending.
Jones was last seen on Jan. 21 at a friend’s home in the 5000-block of Miller Road in Duncan. While she was expected to stay the night, police determined she left shortly before 3 a.m. and walked along August Road.
The last contact from Jones came around 3 a.m., when she texted a friend to say she was en route to meet another friend at a Superstore in Duncan.
Police have cordoned off a large area of land bordering Indian Road as an examination of the scene continues. It is expected to take several days, given its scope and the complexity of the terrain, police said.
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP release:
Exhaustive Search Ends In Tragic Discovery
Shortly after 11:00 am this morning, searchers located a woman’s body in a wooded area off of Indian Road in Duncan, BC. The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP and the RCMP Forensic Identification Section are actively investigating the scene of this discovery.
Investigators believe this is the body of 18 year Tyeshia Jones. Police suspect the involvement of foul play. Official confirmation of identity, and cause of death, is pending. The BC Coroners Service is now involved.
Tyeshia’s family have been notified of the discovery, and officers remain with the family at this time, pending official confirmation of identity.
A substantial amount of resources have been invested throughout the week, to locate Tyeshia, who was reported missing on Saturday, January 22nd, 2011. A team of police officers and search and rescue technicians, at times approaching one hundred strong, worked tirelessly to locate Tyeshia.
The RCMP Forensic Identification Section are currently processing the scene where this body was located. This examination is expected to take several days, given it’s scope and the complexity of the terrain. Police have cordoned off a large area of land, bordering Indian Road.
Investigators are very conscious of the impact this discovery will have on the community. We assure the public that every necessary resource from across Vancouver Island is working to advance this investigation. We will update the community with further details as the investigation permits.
Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522, or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Cpl. Darren Lagan will be available for media interviews at 4:00 pm today, at the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP Detachment, located at 6060 Canada Avenue, Duncan, BC.
Watch the Early News for more.
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