Girl found in water in Dunnville, Ont. under two-and-a-half-years-old: OPP
Provincial police have provided new information about the age of a young girl whose body was found in the water in Dunnville, Ont. earlier this week.
She is now believed to have been between ten-and-a-half months and two-and-a-half-years-old at the time of her death, OPP said Friday.
Studies are being done to determine the length of time she was in the water. A post-mortem was conducted Thursday and additional testing has been scheduled, police said.
As the investigation continues, police issued a specific request Friday.
Investigators are asking anyone who may know of a family with a little girl who may have left town suddenly or moved away under circumstances now considered suspicious to contact them.
The girl's body was discovered by people fishing in the Grand River on Tuesday and emergency responders arrived around 1:22 p.m.
"It's tragic, and it's disturbing," said Detective Inspector Shawn Glassford with the OPP on Wednesday. "Somebody out there is missing this child. Somebody is wondering what happened to this child and we want to hear from those people."
An OPP boat searches the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. after the remains of a young girl were found. (May 18, 2022)
"I just can't imagine that someone would do that to a baby... a baby," said Chris Aldridge, who lives in Dunnville.
"It's very, very sad," said another resident, Kathy Gilbert. "I can't believe it. Something like this would happen in this town. It's just a sad day."
Police said they are looking into missing person reports from across Canada and the United States as part of their efforts to identify the girl.
Authorities have also set up a special tip line for anyone who may have information that can help in their investigation.
Residents are asked to call 1-844-677-9403, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
"We're hopeful that members of the public will assist us," said Glassford. "I think this is one of those cases that we're really going to depend on the public to help us identify this child and determine what happened and how this child ended up in the river and the circumstances surrounding that."
A helicopter flies over the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. (May 18, 2022)
The community of Dunnville is located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County. There are a number of boat launches along the waterfront and wind turbines lining the shore.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.