NORTHERN ONTARIO

Police confirm body found at Fox Lake is that of missing Sudbury woman

Jay Baxter CTVNorthernOntario.ca Digital Content Producer

Published Saturday, August 22, 2020 2:24PM EDT Last Updated Saturday, August 22, 2020 2:37PM EDT

OPP are expanding ground search for Constance (Connie) Richards after her car was found abandoned at a gravel pit on Aug. 8. (OPP)

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SUDBURY -- Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have confirmed the body found at Fox Lake is that of Constance Richards, 26, who had been missing since early August.

Police had been searching for Richards since Aug. 8 when they were called to an abandoned vehicle in a gravel pit off of Fox Lake Road in Ermatinger Township, about an hour east of Sudbury.

Members of the OPP Emergency Response Team (ERT) and OPP Canine Unit located the deceased just after 12:00 p.m. on Aug. 19 near Fox Lake Road in the neighbouring Venturi Township.

While the investigation is ongoing, police say there is no concern for public safety at this time.

The investigation is being conducted by the Nipissing West OPP Crime Unit under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner-Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OCC-OFPS). Also assisting is the OPP Forensic Identification Services Unit (FIS).

Anyone with information is asked to contact Nipissing West OPP at 1 (888) 310-1122 or to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477 should they wish to remain anonymous.

Detective Inspector Laura Houliston of the #OPPCIB updates the public on the on-going missing & found deceased investigation in #NipissingWestOPP area. Anyone with information related to this case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1_800-222-8477 or the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 ^cb pic.twitter.com/hSn8IDKq2r
— OPP North East Region (@OPP_NER) August 22, 2020