More equipment and additional forensic specialists have arrived on the rural property in B.C.'s Southern Interior where human remains were discovered several days ago.
The 24-acre farm, located just south of Salmon Arm, has been buzzing with police activity since last Thursday, and there are now white tents, covered fences, excavators and at least two RCMP Mobile Command Posts among the numerous outbuildings on the property.
Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said extra members of the Forensic Search Evidentiary Recovery Team have also been brought in to help "conduct a thorough search of this property in the most efficient manner."
It's unclear how long that could take, however.
"The investigation itself is quite fluid at this time and we have no timeline with respect to when we expect to be finished on site," Moskaluk said.
Almost a week after the search began, much of the case remains shrouded in mystery. Moskaluk acknowledged the intense public interest in what's happening, but said the RCMP has to keep details to a minimum because the search warrant executed on the farm is sealed.
Among the questions that remain unanswered: Did the remains come from one person or multiple people? In what state were the remains found? How did the property end up on the RCMP's radar?
"Given the status of the investigation we're not at liberty to discuss what brought us here," Moskaluk said.
Mounties also have yet to link the remains or the farm to any of the several missing person cases in the area, and Moskaluk urged the public not to draw any conclusions.
"Until these remains have been positively identified, it's too early in the investigation to say whether the discovery is linked or not to any missing person investigations," he told reporters.
The families of the missing women are being kept apprised of any developments, he added.
Jody Leon, a member of the Splatsin First Nation who organized a rally in support of the missing women last weekend, said it’s hard not to be concerned when you witness the scale of the RCMP's operation.
"I saw about 15 police walking arm-and-arm followed by an ATV and a pickup truck, and it was really overwhelming to see that and to see the amount of area that's covered by black tarp," Leon said.
"Quite overwhelming to think about what might have occurred here."
The grim discovery on the property followed weeks after a violent incident against a sex worker down the same rural road. The victim said she was threatened by a man with a gun but managed to run to safety.
Curtis Wayne Sagmoen, 36, was arrested and charged with seven crimes, including uttering threats and several counts related to firearms.
The incident prompted the RCMP to issue a public warning earlier this month, but the force has not publicly linked it to the search warrant executed on the farm.
Locals told CTV News that Sagmoen lives on the property with his parents.
