Toothpaste tube helps narrow investigation into remains found near Sask. campsite

Investigators in Saskatchewan have released photos of items found near a campsite along with the  human remains of a person who they believe died a decade ago.

RCMP say they’re hoping someone will recognize the items and can help figure out the person’s identity.

Police say in a news release they began an investigation April 28 into human remains located at a makeshift campsite in a deeply forested area in the Rural Municipality of Moose Jaw.

The release didn’t specify whether the remains are from a man or a woman, although it says there’s no evidence to suggest foul play was involved.

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Searches yielded a number of personal items including clothing, backpacks and toiletries, and police say one specific item — a tube of toothpaste — helped investigators narrow down a timeframe for when the person may have been in the area.

The toothpaste had a 2013 expiry date, and the manufacturer told investigators that meant it was made no earlier than 2012.

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“This is someone’s loved one and at the end of the day, we would love to be able to bring closure to that family,” said Cpl. Craig Park of the RCMP’s historical case unit in the news release.

“We are reaching out to the public in the hopes that someone out there recognizes one of the items we recovered, or that it helps jog someone’s memory of an interaction or sighting of this person.”

Police said the investigation remains in the early stages as searches of the area continue.

Anyone with information is asked to call the historical case unit.