Body found buried and wrapped in tarp
Identified woman, 25, was reported missing on July 31
VICTORIA — Euarchol Wanichpan, a 25-year-old Vancouver Island woman who has been missing since late July, has been identified as the person found buried and wrapped in a tarp at S.J. Willis Educational Centre in Victoria.
Major crime investigators suspect foul play and are asking for the public’s help in trying to piece together Wanichpan’s movements between the time she was last seen and when her body was discovered.
Wanichpan was last seen in the Lansdowne area of Saanich on July 30. She was reported missing to Saanich police the next day.
Her disappearance was considered suspicious and on Aug. 9, the file was turned over to the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, which probes homicides and suspicious deaths.
Police have not released the cause of death, but said the public is not at risk.
“Wanichpan is a daughter and a sister, and we will continue to work with her family,” RCMP Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau said.
A man working in the area on Tuesday said he found the body buried and wrapped in a tarp.
The school was behind police tape on Friday as officers excavated soil in the grassy fenced-in area overlooking Topaz Avenue.
RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Tammy Douglas said police are searching soil and areas partly concealed by the growth of brush and vegetation.
“Investigators are taking a methodical approach during their examination to ensure a thorough search is completed,” Douglas said.
Officers used shovels and carefully sifted dirt through a metal tray. Others used weed whackers to hack away dense brush surrounding the back of the school.
Anyone with information is asked to call the VIIMCU information line at 250-3806211. Anonymous reports can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).