MONTREAL - A body part found by the Major Crimes Unit of the Montreal police near the water in Angrignon Park Sunday evening has been sent to the Montreal coroner for scientific analysis, as many breathlessly wait to learn if the missing head of murder and dismemberment victim Lin Jun has finally been recovered.
Police representatives continued to be tight-lipped about the discovery, although they reported that the search stemmed from the investigation of accused murderer Luka Magnotta.
The coroner will verify if the body part is a genetic match of Lin Jun, whose head has been sought with some desperation in order to give closure to the family of the victim, who have come to Montreal from China for the occasion.
Police have said that it will take about a week to receive any possible confirmation that the head is that of Lin Jun.
Lin Jun’s former employer was crossing his fingers that the search for the murdered man’s body had finally finished.
“I hope it belongs to him. Like you know for Chinese tradition we usually keep the whole body,” said Kankan Huang.
Those spending Canada Day in the park were not too disturbed by the grisly find.
"It makes Montreal sort of seem less welcoming when you’re finding these sorts of things in your family parks, but we're still out and enjoying the long weekend,” said Erin McLeish, who was at the park with her family.
Another person at the park offered some professional insight into the possibility that the find was the final chapter in the bizarre body parts search that has fascinated and horrified Montreal.
“I worked for 25 years as a psychiatrist. I know these things are rare, so we can't generalize and worry that this will happen again,” said Danielle Lavoie.
Magnotta has been held in solitary confinement in Montreal while waiting trial and there has been no indication whether he supplied the tip that led investigators to make the discovery.
He has plead not guilty to the charges related to the murder of Lin Jun.
Lin was murdered and dismembered on May 29.
His torso found outside an apartment building near Decarie.
Two of his body parts were mailed to Canadian political party offices in Ottawa. Two other body parts were mailed to schools in British Columbia.