As a result of the ongoing investigation, detectives with the Niagara Regional Police Service have now determined the death to be a homicide.
Efforts to identify the victim continue. The deceased is described as:
Male Black 18 – 22 years of age 5’10”– 6’3” tall Muscular build
Investigators believe this incident occurred between late 2021 and the spring of 2025. This ongoing investigation is particularly complex due to the condition of the remains. As a result, forensic and postmortem examinations remain ongoing. Homicide investigators have been working closely with the NRPS Missing Persons and Unidentified Human Remains Coordinator and have determined that the current description of the victim does not match any known outstanding missing persons within the Niagara Region.
This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-688-4111, dial option 3, extension 1009417.
Members of the community who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to people who contact the program with information that leads to an arrest.
ORIGINAL RELEASE
On Sunday, August 31, 2025, at approximately 2:00 p.m. uniform members of the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) assigned to 2 District (Niagara Falls/Niagara-on-the-Lake) responded to an unidentified human remains call in an area near Read Road and the shore of Lake Ontario.
The initial investigation determined that a human skull had been discovered. The area was secured, and detectives from the 2 District Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) assumed carriage of the investigation, with support from members of the NRPS Forensic Services Unit (FSU).
On Wednesday, September 03, 2025, full skeletal remains were recovered from the area. The NRPS is currently working with the coroner’s office and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service to assist in identification. Due to the state of decomposition, investigators are unable to provide any further details on identity at this time.
Investigators are treating this incident as suspicious and the NRPS Homicide Unit has taken carriage of the investigation. The area where the remains were found remains under police guard while police conduct more thorough searches of the area.
This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-688-4111, dial option 3, extension 1009417.
Members of the community who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to people who contact the program with information which leads to an arrest.