N.S. man charged, human remains found in homicide case of Tony Walsh

A Nova Scotia man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Peter Anthony “Tony” Walsh, who went missing from Colchester County in 2019.

John Alfred Cook, of Londonderry, N.S., has been remanded into custody and will appear in Truro Provincial Court on Aug. 2.

Walsh, known as “Tony” to his family and friends, was last seen on Aug. 23, 2019 in Truro, N.S.

According to police, Walsh was last seen getting into a truck. Police said his own truck, a 1999 Chrysler Sebring, was left in the area and later recovered by his family in the parking lot of a Truro business.

His disappearance was initially investigated as a missing persons file, and in December of that year, RCMP released a video of his mother making an emotional plea for answers in his his case.

“Tony is a son, brother, father, uncle and friend to many and we all miss him dearly,” said his mother, Susan Robben, in the video.

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By January 2020, RCMP said that evidence had led officers to rule the matter a homicide.

At the time, a police spokesperson told Global News there was at least one suspect in the case. Although tips and information started coming in, another public appeal was issued by investigators in March 2020.

“Since March 2020, RCMP investigators have continued to gather information, collect evidence and follow up on tips and, on June 16, 2022, Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime arrested a 56-year-old Londonderry man in relation to the homicide,” RCMP wrote in a news release on Monday.

“On June 16, RCMP investigators also located human remains in the Londonderry area. Investigators believe these remains to be those of Tony Walsh based on all of the evidence and information collected.”

RCMP added they wanted to thank the Walsh family for their patience and understanding during the investigation, and offered their condolences.