Police in Port Hope, Ont., say a body located in the town on Thursday is a woman who had been reported missing for a month.
The Port Hope Police Service Special Constables and the Ontario Community Emergency Assistance Program Search and Rescue were searching for Madison Chard, 29, last seen on April 19, when teams around 3 p.m. found a female’s body in a wooded area along the Ganaraska River near Caroline Street, just a kilometre north of the downtown.
Police closed off the area on the east side of the river from Barrett to Jocelyn street.
OPP are assisting the municipal police with the investigation into the discovery.
Port Hope Police Chief Bryant Wood said the body was transferred to the Ontario Coroner’s office in Kingston for identification and an autopsy.
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On Friday morning, police confirmed the body found was that of Chard’s.
“The circumstances surrounding her death are now under investigation with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police,” police stated.
Insp. Katy Andrews told Global News Peterborough she was notified of the discovery around 3:24 p.m. She said the service had received a “lot of tips” on Chard’s disappearance and were treating it as a possible case of human trafficking.
However, she said Thursday’s search was not based on any tip, rather investigators wanted to focus on the popular walking trails and a few abandoned buildings in the area along the river.
Andrews said police are awaiting the results of the autopsy and said it is “too soon” to say if the death is suspicious in nature.
In a Facebook post issued around 4:15 a.m. Friday, Chard’s father Mark asked that posters of his daughter be removed.
“She’s at rest with the angels,” the post reads. “Thank you to everyone who tried to help in this very broken world. Leave our family to grieve and if you have any information, contact the police so our daughter can Rest In Peace.”
Andrews said anyone with information can reach police at 905-885-8123 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
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