Around 3:00 pm on January 22, human remains were found buried beneath a home on Brunswick Street, south of Dupont Street. After consulting a forensic anthropologist, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) announced Friday afternoon that the bones were part of a specimen that had been used in a medical study.
The contractors who made the discovery were involved in renovating the private residence, and were excavating the grounds. At the time the remains were found, police were unsure whether they were the result of a crime, archaeological, or due to some kind of misfortune. An investigation was launched to “determine [the] circumstances of [the] death.”
All that was known up until recently was that the bones were decades old and buried under a property which is reportedly 140 years old. The home was cordoned off to protect the scene and two special constables were posted to guard the area.
After determining that the bones were indeed human, a forensic identification officer from TPS and a forensic anthropologist from the Office of the Chief Coroner were called in for further analysis. TPS ultimately ruled that the remains are “not associated to [a] missing person or homicide” case.
The investigation is now closed following the conclusion that the remains were part of a medical specimen dating back to the 1940s.
