WINNIPEG – The remains of homicide victim Christine Wood have been found in a rural area just outside Winnipeg almost ten months after she went missing.
Wood was last seen August 19, 2016 after she left a Sargent Ave. hotel during a visit to Winnipeg from Oxford House First Nation.
Her body was found by a landowner who was checking his crops in the R.M. of Springfield.
Police arrived to the scene Thursday morning but were not able to positively identify the remains until Friday evening after an autopsy had been conducted.
Police believe Wood’s body was buried there shortly after she went missing, said Winnipeg Police Service Homicide Sgt. John O’Donovan.
READ MORE: Christine Wood’s body still missing following homicide arrest, Winnipeg police say
Initially, Wood’s case was treated as a missing person’s investigation until January when the homicide unit took over the file.
In March, police found evidence inside a home on Burrows Ave. that investigators felt all but guaranteed Wood had been killed there.
Then in April, the man who lived at the Burrows location, 30-year-old Brett Overby, was charged with second degree murder in connection with Wood’s death.
At that point, police still did not know the location of Wood’s body and said Overby was not providing them with any information to help them find the remains.
According to O’Donovan, Overby had nothing to do with police locating the burial site found on Thursday and the second degree murder charge against him still stands.
Overby has a bail hearing scheduled for Monday morning.
READ MORE: Hundreds attend vigil for Christine Wood in Winnipeg Wednesday
Locating Wood’s body provides some sense of closure for her family, said Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson.
“Even though it’s not the perfect answer we wanted we’re grateful and happy she’ll be brought to people who love her,” said Wilson who is also a relative of the Wood family.
Wilson spoke with Wood’s parents last night and said they’re feeling mixed emotions, “very happy she has been found and very sad she is gone.”
Police are not releasing details about how Wood’s body was transported to the burial site or the cause of death.
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