The remains of a body were found by a group of hunters in Saint-Maurice, near Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, on Friday. The provincial police, the Sûreté Du Quebec (SQ), later investigated and identified the remains as Cédrika Provencher, according to CBC News. She was last seen on July 31, 2007, near her residence in Trois-Rivieres, asking members of the community if they had seen a lost dog. She was 9 years old at the time of her disappearance. The story of her disappearance extended beyond Quebec, to the rest of Canada, the U.S., and Europe. Cédrika's body was found just 15 kms from where she was last seen. Her bicycle was found nearby her last known whereabouts as well, propped up against a fire hydrant, according to CTV News.
"We can finally begin our grieving process," said Martin Provencher, Cedrika's father.
"She had gone out, like a lot of children do, she had an assigned time to go back home and someone stopped her saying, 'I lost my puppy. Can you help me find my puppy?'" Pina Arcamone, of the Missing Children's Network, said, according to Global News.
"This is devastating news for a family that's been holding onto hope of seeing their daughter alive," she continued, "I know it's been eight long years for this family. Martin mentioned not long ago that he was tired to go on every day, not knowing where Cédrika was and he needed answers," reported CTV News.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, showed his support on Twitter.
My heart goes out to the family of Cédrika Provencher. May you finally be able to mourn your daughter and may she rest in peace.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) December 13, 2015
The Cédrika Provencher Foundation was founded after her disappearance to help prevent her story from happening to other children.
There are over 50 SQ investigators searching the area for clues. There are no suspects as of now, but the investigation is ongoing. The SQ is urging anyone with information regarding Cédrika's disappearance or death to contact them at 1-800-659-4264.
