WARNING: This story contains disturbing details.
Firefighters and police officers in Sherbrooke, Que. placed the burnt body of a woman into a waste container, thinking that it was a mannequin, according to Radio-Canada.
On July 23, employees at a baking factory alerted emergency crews about smoke coming from a nearby wooded area and a mannequin that was on fire.
Firefighters and police officers arrived, the fire was extinguished and, believing that they were indeed dealing with a mannequin or a life-sized doll, they determined that the best way to dispose of it would be to put it in the dumpster at the police station.
A few hours later, a missing person’s report was filed.
The missing person’s vehicle was found near the location of the fire, and officers realized that the photo of the missing woman matched what they had believed was a mannequin.
The coroner’s office confirmed to Radio-Canada that an investigation into the cause of death is underway. No further details regarding the death were provided.
The city of Sherbrooke is expected to hold a news conference this afternoon at 2 p.m. ET.
Previously, on July 23, Sherbrooke police had told Radio-Canada that officers had been deployed at the corner of Roy and Cabana streets in connection with a missing person’s report.
The department declined to comment further at the time.
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