State police and Shirley officers shut down part of Shaker Road on Wednesday after an object in a small body of water near the Maritime Veterans Memorial Bridge was identified as possible human remains. Troopers and local officers were on scene near Phoenix Pond as specialized units moved in to investigate, and officials warned that traffic and access in the area could be temporarily restricted. Middlesex County authorities were notified as investigators secured the scene.
Scene and initial response
Shirley police said in a social media post that officers were called to "a suspicious object in the water near the Maritime Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road," which crosses Catacoonamug Brook near Phoenix Pond, according to NBC10 Boston. The outlet reported that Massachusetts State Police sent a detective unit along with an underwater recovery team to the area, and later said the object "appears to be human remains."
State Police recovery team
The Massachusetts State Police Underwater Recovery Unit, often referred to as a dive team, conducts searches and recoveries in inland waters and coastal areas and assists detectives with evidence retrieval. The agency outlines the unit's role and how it is used in death investigations on its public safety information pages at Mass.gov.
Investigation and next steps
Officials have not released any identifying details or information about a possible cause, and NBC10 Boston reports that it has reached out to the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office for more information. Authorities asked people to stay clear of the immediate area while crews worked to process the site and recover the object. No arrests have been announced, and no additional information was available from police at the time of reporting.
What we still don't know
Investigators have not said whether the apparent remains are linked to any missing-person case, or whether they suspect foul play. State and local authorities say they will release more details when they are able, and we will update this story as new information is confirmed.
