Police say the discovery of human remains in Grand Bay-Westfield may be linked to a missing person case from May.
In a press release issued Monday, police with Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP say they were contacted Sunday about the discovery of possible human remains. Police said the remains were discovered by a person who was walking his dog "in a heavily wooded area" near Nerepis Road and Route 7.
Officers responding to the call found remains along with clothing that "matched exactly" the description of a 79-year-old woman, Ruth Carol Sutton, who had been reported missing on May 25, 2025. According to the release, officers are still working to confirm the identity of the remains.
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Cpl. Julie Rogers-Marsh told Brunswick News that the link to the missing persons case is currently based on the clothing.
"We've been working with the coroner's office to 100 per cent confirm the identity ... that may take a bit of time," Rogers-Marsh said. She said the call came in just before 5 p.m. and that criminality is not believed to be a factor in the investigation at this time.
Crews searched for Sutton for days in May after she was last seen walking on Mallard Drive in Grand Bay-Westfield. She was said to have suffered from dementia, and crews at that time said they had begun to approach it as a "recovery search."
In June, police said they were still running underwater and aerial searches and asked the public to keep an eye out while in the woods or on the water.
Rogers-Marsh said Monday that police have been in touch with the family.
"All along we've wanted to locate her and bring closure to the family, so I feel that we're stepping towards that goal at this point," Rogers-Marsh said.
Police with the RCMP's forensic identification services and police dog services unit, as well as a member of the New Brunswick coroner's office, are participating with the investigation, according to the release.
"We certainly thank the public for their assistance in this investigation," Rogers-Marsh said. "The community came together from the get-go as far as assisting with the search, and bringing food and helping with the ground search deployment ... the community has continued to support the family and the RCMP with regards to the investigation. "
With files from Brice McVicar
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