TROIS-RIVIERES – Over 200 officers continued to comb through a wooded area near Trois-Rivières where the remains of Cédrika Provencher were found on Friday.
A group of hunters came across a human skull deep in the woods about 15 kilometres from where she disappeared.
WATCH: Nine-year-old Cedrika Provencher disappeared near her home in Trois-Rivieres in 2007, prompting a massive and ultimately fruitless manhunt. This weekend, a group of hunters found her remains. Global’s Felicia Parrillo reports.
Police later confirmed it belonged to Provencher.
One of the hunters said since her disappearance, the entire province has been thinking of Provencher.
As a result of the discovery, Pascal Lanthier said it was important for them to return to the wooded area Monday and say their goodbyes.
The nine-year-old was last seen on July 31, 2007 asking people in her neighbourhood if they had seen a lost dog that didn’t belong to her.
The news is still hard to believe for Provencher’s family.
Her grandfather, Henri Provencher, said their family was looking for a living girl, and it hits harder than you would expect.
Hundreds of people from Trois-Rivières stopped by the wooded area to drop off flowers and pay their respects to the grieving family.
One person who worked on the case over eight years ago was SQ officer François Doré, who is now retired.
He said the discovery is a huge step in the investigation.
“They found part of the body, they’re looking for more parts and they’re looking for any kind of clues that could help identify who left Cédrika Provencher there eight-and-a-half years ago,” he said.
But even though Provencher’s remains were found, the case he said, is far from over.
“It’s coming to an end maybe for the family because they can make up some closure,” said Doré.
“But the next step is to find that person responsible for the death of Cédrika Provencher.”
As the investigation continues, police said they won’t be commenting any further on the case.
The case has attracted attention from elected officials as well, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Philippe Couillard offering their condolences.
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