Human remains found during search for Megan Gallagher: Police

Human remains were found during the first day of a four-day search for Megan Gallagher on Thursday, though police have not yet confirmed the remains were those of the missing woman.

Gallagher has been missing for more than two years. A number of people are facing charges in relation to her disappearance and death, though her remains have never been found. This week, police announced an intensive search of an area of the South Saskatchewan River near the village of St. Louis.

“At approximately 2:30 p.m. today searchers on the river near the community of St. Louis located human remains,” Saskatoon police said in a written statement issued late Thursday afternoon.

“The SPS Forensic Identification Unit will be processing the scene and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service has been notified. Testing will be conducted to determine identity.”

The search effort included multiple law-enforcement agencies, the water security agency, purpose-trained dog teams from the Calgary Police Service, and Dr. Ernie Walker, a noted forensic anthropologist.

Members of Gallagher’s family were present in the area of the search Thursday. They held a ceremony to mark the start of the effort, but police confirmed they were not searching personally.

“Further information will be released when it becomes available,” police said.

At a news conference earlier in the day Thursday, police said they believe Gallagher was abducted, confined, and ultimately murdered in Saskatoon before her remains were disposed of in the area of the search.