A Saint John Police Force cruiser is pictured in this file photo. Image: Aaron Sousa

Saint John police are investigating after human remains were found in a heavily wooded area on the city’s east side.

Police said a hiker located what he believed to be human skeletal remains in an area between Lakewood Heights and Golden Grove Road on Friday evening.

“The Forensic Identification Services attended the scene and confirmed the remains were human. A thorough search of the site was conducted in consultation with a forensic anthropologist,” police said in a news release on Sunday.

Police said the scene was secured until a more extensive grid search of the area could be conducted with help from the River Valley and York Sunbury Ground Search and Rescue teams.

Members of the public were asked to avoid the area, including any nearby ATV trails, to avoid contaminating the area and to allow officials to complete their search.

Late Sunday evening, police said the search operation in the area had concluded.

“The Major Crime Unit continues to investigate. There is no further update at this time,” the police force said in a tweet shortly after 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Police said efforts to identify the human remains are currently taking place.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Saint John Police Force at 506-648-3333 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Found Human Remains
East Saint Johnhttps://t.co/g9XvsU1LRW pic.twitter.com/YKIk68nMlx

— Saint John Police (@saintjohnpolice) August 14, 2022