OPP confirm remains found are missing Thornbury man
OPP have confirmed that human remains found in Georgian Bay Township belong to 60-year-old Eric Spencer, who went missing in 2018.
It was mid-October 2018 when Eric Spencer was last seen in Honey Harbour.
A full-scale search by the OPP for the then 60-year-old from Thornbury scaled back when the search came up empty.
Then reignited one year later, with no trace of Spencer anywhere, Spencer's sister got in touch with the non-profit group "Please Bring Me Home."
"When Eric entered those woods, there has been no other evidence to suggest that he exited those woods," said Nick Oldrieve, executive director of Please Bring Me Home.
Six volunteers entered Honey Harbour on Sunday following a creek near where Spencer was last seen.
A search was encumbered.
"The swampiest area that we've ever been in. So every two feet you step out, you're in another, you know, another swampy area," said Oldrieve.
The team devised a plan to stay on the perimeter, hoping that his body would have likely drifted out after six years.
Then, at 10:30 that morning, "We were at the northmost end of this swamp just kind of turning around to come around the other side. And we had located what was clearly human remains at the time," said Oldrieve.
Police were alerted to the situation and brought in to retrieve the remains.
The Office of the Chief Coroner, with assistance from the OPP Forensic Identification Unit and the Centre of Forensic Sciences, confirmed the identity of the remains on Wednesday.
Police say foul play is not suspected in this investigation.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Oldrieve's work continues long after the search has ended.
"Organizing some counselling services, getting in touch with victim services, whatever it is we can do to ensure that they're supported all the way through this journey of grief," said Oldrieve.
Now, at the time Spencer went missing, it was a bit unclear what drew him to Honey Harbour.
Oldreive says he does have ties to the area, with a family campsite close to the area.
But what made him stop and enter the woods where he did is something we likely will never know.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.