Grand chief says body of missing Indigenous teenager discovered in Thunder Bay park

TORONTO — An Indigenous leader says a 17-year-old boy who went missing in Thunder Bay, Ont., last week has been found dead in a city park.

Alvin Fiddler, grand chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, says Thunder Bay police found the body of Braiden Jacob, a member of the Webequie First Nation, on Sunday.

Fiddler says he hopes an investigation will reveal the circumstances around the teen’s disappearance.

Thunder Bay police said they were investigating a death in a city park and said an autopsy was being conducted to identify the body.

The force said the investigation into Jacob’s disappearance continues.

Police had appealed to the public in recent days for help locating Jacob, providing a detailed description of the teen who was last seen on Dec. 6.

Fiddler, whose organization represents 49 First Nation communities in northern Ontario, offered condolences to Jacob’s friends, family and community.

“We will do everything possible to support them during this difficult time,” he said in a statement.

“Nothing can lessen this tragic loss, but we hope that a thorough investigation will reveal the circumstances around his disappearance and help prevent similar tragedies.”