Police have removed tents from a Maple Ridge rental house where human remains were discovered, but authorities have not yet confirmed the identity of the deceased. Homicide detectives are continuing their investigation.
Jessica Cunningham, 43, was last seen in June. Maple Ridge RCMP issued a missing persons report on August 22. Police obtained a search warrant for the two-storey house last week, where human remains were subsequently found.
Staff Sgt. David Lee, spokesperson for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), said on Friday that IHIT and the B.C. Coroners Service are working to identify the remains. He described the case as “complex.” Lee did not respond to an emailed request for an update on Labour Day Monday.
Last week, authorities revealed that Cunningham’s intimate partner, Mylie Barron, had been charged with committing an indignity to human remains. Barron is currently in custody and is scheduled for a bail hearing on September 26 at Port Coquitlam Provincial Court.
Court records indicate Barron faces charges under Section 182(b) of the Criminal Code. The law makes it a crime to improperly or indecently interfere with a dead body or human remains, whether buried or not. Convictions for such offences generally carry sentences of about 18 months, though the maximum sentence is five years. Police believe the alleged offence took place between May 25 and August 26.
Cunningham was last seen in June and reported missing in July, though IHIT has not released exact dates. Maple Ridge RCMP issued a public appeal for information on August 22 to aid in locating her.
During the investigation, police cordoned off the entrance to the Gillis Place cul-de-sac, where Barron and Cunningham lived. Only residents’ vehicles were allowed inside.
The front of the rental house had been covered by three nylon tarps across the ground-level veranda. A white forensic identification tent and a black IHIT tent further obscured the entrance and front door.
By Monday, these tarps and tents had been removed. James Ryan, who had signed a lease for the basement suite in July, began moving his belongings into the house. He had previously been told by the landlord to delay moving in because the property was a secured crime scene.
Ryan said the landlord apologized for the inconvenience. He added that he was still interested in the suite, citing the challenges of high rent and low vacancy rates in the area. The upper suite remains secured by police.
Barron’s upcoming bail hearing will determine whether he remains in custody pending further court proceedings. A publication ban protects certain hearing details, though the outcome of the bail application will be public.
Authorities continue to work on identifying the remains and gathering evidence in what remains a sensitive and ongoing investigation in Maple Ridge.
