A badly decomposed body that appears to have been deliberately hidden in North Vancouver's Lower Capilano neighbourhood this week may have met with foul play, according to investigators.
Police were called to the scene just west of Capilano Road at about 5: 45 p.m. Sunday after a neighbour reported a foul smell to the North Vancouver RCMP. Investigators searched the area and found the remains in a wooded space off a gravel foot path that links Curling Road with Belle Isle Place.
"It did appear that somebody attempted to conceal the body, and at that point it was deemed suspicious, and that was the reason the (Integrated Homicide Investigation Team) was called in," said Sgt. Jennifer Pound, a spokeswoman for the unit.
Regular users of the trail wouldn't have been able to spot the body without venturing into the woods, Pound said. She could not say in what way it appeared to have been hidden.
The remains were in a "state of decomposition," which had likely been sped up by warm weather, she said.
"A lot of the answers that we're looking for are going to have to come through further testing. At this point, we don't know how long the remains have been there. We don't have a gender, and we're asking anyone who has information to contact the IHIT tip line," said Pound. "Our priority right now is to determine who the victim is in that location, locate the family and let the family know what's going on and delve into what happened and what brought that person to this area."
The B.C. Coroners Service, an entomologist and Forensic Identification Services were also on the scene Monday searching for evidence.
Pound said investigators have also been canvassing nearby homes to see if anyone else may have noticed anything suspicious.
Neighbours in the area have complained recently that dilapidated buildings and abandoned lots nearby have been a magnet for crime.
brichter@nsnews.com
