2 hands found in Mississauga near where women’s head, foot discovered

Peel police say they have found two hands near where a woman’s head and foot were discovered in Mississauga’s Credit River earlier this week.

More body parts discovered at about the same time the hands were found Friday afternoon turned out to be those of an animal.

“The anticipated announcement of further human body parts is unfounded. Coroner confirms animal remains,” Peel police posted on Twitter.

Sgt. Pete Brandwood said one hand was found Friday afternoon on the banks of the river near where the foot was discovered Wednesday and the other hand farther downstream, The right and left hands, which had no distinguishing features, were taken along with the other body parts to be tested at the Centre of Forensic Sciences.

Brandwood said the body parts likely belonged to the same woman.

He reiterated that police can’t say it’s murder until they have a cause of death.

“At the moment we don’t have a cause of death,” he said.

But he said, “The conclusion is there has been some foul play.”

Shoes and flip-flops were also recovered Friday from the water by a dive team, but it hasn’t been determined if they’re evidence in the investigation, Brandwood said.

Police say they will suspend their search at 8 p.m. Friday and resume Saturday morning.

Earlier in the day, police said the body parts found in the Credit River aren’t connected to the case of a missing Brampton teenager or to alleged killer Luka Magnotta.

Mila Johnson, 16, disappeared from her Brampton home on Aug. 3 and her family was contacted by police after the head and foot with yellow nail polish on the toes were found. The missing girl’s best friend said Mila did have yellow nail polish, but investigators have, as of now, ruled Johnson out as the victim.

“Our homicide investigators have spoken with the family and there is, at this time from the evidence that we have, no connection between that missing person investigation and our human remains investigation,” Const. George Tudos said.

“At this point, we’re no closer to identifying the victim.”

Police also quashed any speculation of a connection to Magnotta, who stands accused of murdering Jun Lin in Montreal in late May, dismembering him and mailing his body parts to political parties and two Vancouver schools.

Right now, investigators are sifting through missing persons’ reports in Peel Region and beyond in an effort to turn up some clues.

“We’re not limiting ourselves to any small perimeter,” Tudos said. “We’re going wherever we can to try and solve this case.”

Hikers in Hewick Meadows Park discovered the right foot, severed at the ankle, in the river. Because the toenails were painted yellow, police believe the body part is that of a woman. Police found a woman’s head upstream on Thursday around noon.

Investigators can’t confirm a link between the remains nor confirm a cause of death until they receive test results. Acting Insp. Randy Cowan said the size of the remains suggests they’re not those of a child.

Meanwhile, the search for more body parts and any clues to help detectives identify the victim and figure out what happened to her continued Friday. Peel investigators are calling on other police forces for resources, including cadaver dogs.

Police still aren’t sure if the head and foot were dumped in the spots they were found, or whether they drifted there from somewhere else.

The Credit River flows from above the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Ontario.

“We’re urging any of the citizens that live in the area or anyone in these park areas, if they come across anything that looks suspicious or that looks like it shouldn’t be there, to contact our investigators rather than handling it themselves,” Tudos said.

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