Washington State

Suitcase found by WA fishermen contained remains of Canadian resident, authorities say

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Law enforcement officials have confirmed that a suitcase pulled from Ross Lake in October contained the remains of a Canadian resident.

Staff Sgt. Kris Clark, senior media relations officer for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, confirmed this week that the body is that of a Canadian.

Two fishermen discovered the suit case, and the investigation was originally headed by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, with the possible remains handed over to the Whatcom Medical Examiner.

When the remains were identified as human, and as a Canadian resident, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police took over the investigation. It is unclear when this happened, as neither the Sheriff’s Office nor the RCMP would confirm an exact date.

RCMP told The Herald only that the victim has been identified and confirmed to be a Canadian resident, but that no additional details are available at this time.

WSCO also did not confirm when the victim was identified or when the investigation was turned over to Canadian law enforcement.

This story was originally published January 5, 2024 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Suitcase found by WA fishermen contained remains of Canadian resident, authorities say."

Jack Belcher
The Bellingham Herald
Jack Belcher covers transportation and recreation for The Bellingham Herald. He graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in digital journalism in 2020 and joined the staff in September 2022. Belcher resides in Bellingham.
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