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
BREAKING King Charles' cancer treatment progressing well, says Buckingham Palace
King Charles III’s doctors are 'sufficiently pleased' with his cancer treatment and he is expected to return to public-facing duties, Buckingham Palace announced on Friday.
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
DEVELOPING Bird flu outbreaks: WHO weighs in on public health risk
The World Health Organization said on Friday that the current overall public health risk posed by H5N1 bird flu virus is low, but for those with exposure to infected birds or animals the risk of infection is considered low-to-moderate.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.