Photo: Global News
Police and fire officials in Canada have publicly apologized for mishandling human remains after a woman’s burnt body was mistaken for a mannequin and thrown in a police dumpster.
On the morning of July 23, authorities responded to reports of a small brush fire behind a factory in Sherbrooke, Quebec, just over 30 miles north of Vermont.
When firefighters arrived at the scene, witnesses declared that someone had set a silicone mannequin ablaze, Sherbrooke Police Chief Danny McConnell said in a press conference Thursday. At that point, the first responders requested assistance from police.
About four hours later, a man filed a missing persons report for his partner. During their investigation, police officers tracked the missing woman’s cell phone, which led them to a vehicle parked near the site of the fire,Global NewsandCBCreport.
That’s when one police officer suggested that the fire may have been linked to the woman’s disappearance, McConnell said.
When police retrieved the supposed mannequin from the trash bin for examination, they realized their mistake. The remains were positively identified as those of the missing woman, officials say.
Global News
Sherbrooke Fire Chief Stéphane Simoneau also spoke at Thursday’s news conference, offering condolences to the woman’s partner and children and revealing that first responders are still processing the day’s events.
Anatomical pathologist Dr. Robert Nicholsonspoke to CBCabout the authorities' error, explaining that a burnt body could reasonably be confused for a burnt mannequin without cause to believe otherwise.
Human bodies are about 60% water, Nicholson said, meaning they will shed a significant amount of weight when burned.
“So, a 150-pound person would be about 60 pounds,” he said. “If somebody is a burn victim and most of the water is gone, then there is nothing but the results of the burn. It doesn’t look like a normal person and it doesn’t feel like a normal person.”
source: people.com
