Toronto police appeal for help to identify dismembered body found in lake

Toronto police are seeking help from the public to identify a person whose dismembered body parts were found near a downtown beach last year.

Police say two human thighs were found in the water near Cherry Beach last October.

Three weeks later, the police marine unit discovered a human torso partially wrapped in a black garbage bag in the outer Toronto Harbour area of Lake Ontario.

Police say an autopsy and DNA testing revealed that the body parts belong to the same person, who appears to have been intentionally dismembered.

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Investigators believe the person was a male between the ages of 21 and 28, with a light brown, tan complexion, an average-to-lean build and with black body hair.

Police have released images of a thin necklace found on the torso in hopes that someone will recognize it, and they are asking anyone with information about the case to come forward.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2024.