Death of woman in Five Islands, N.S., ruled a homicide

The Nova Scotia RCMP says the suspicious death of a woman in Five Islands has been ruled a homicide.

In a release, police said officers with the Colchester County District RCMP and the Cumberland County District RCMP responded to reports of shots fired in the area of Sand Point Hill Lane and Wharf Road shortly after 7 p.m. Monday. There, they found a dead woman inside a home on Sand Point Hill Lane.

Earlier this week, police said the death was “suspicious,” but said Thursday that it has been ruled a homicide.

The release said Cumberland County RCMP officers took a “person of interest” into custody in Springhill on Thursday, but that person has since been released.

“RCMP investigators remain on scene at Sand Point Hill Ln. in Five Islands and the investigation is continuing,” the release said.

“Local residents may have observed a Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables helicopter in the area over the last two days. The helicopter was dispatched to assist investigators in locating evidence as part of the investigation.”

The investigation is being led by the Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit, with assistance from Colchester and Cumberland district RCMP, as well as forensic identification services, the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, and the medical examiner’s office.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.