NIPIGON, Ont. — Ontario Provincial Police have started a concentrated search of the sewage treatment plant in Nipigon as they continue their investigation into the disappearance of Alyssa Turnbull.
The 26-year-old woman from South Gillies disappeared over six months ago.
She was last seen in Nipigon in late March.
On Monday, members of a specialized OPP response team known as UCRT – Urban Search and Rescue, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Response – were sent to the wastewater treatment plant to look for clues.
They were joined by the Northwest Region Emergency Response Team, the Tactical Emergency Medical Service team, the Criminal Investigation Branch and other officers.
Spokesperson Sergeant Mike Golding said Nipigon residents can expect to see the increased presence in the community for the next five to seven days, but he declined to discuss what other sites they may inspect.
The search at the sewage plant comes just three days after OPP announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Turnbull's disappearance, or information that results in locating her.
However, Golding said the decision to check the plant was not the result of a tip.
"We're just trying to do a really thorough investigation...this was the next thing that we had been planning to address," he said. "No stone will be left unturned until we complete this investigation."
Golding added that police believe there are people who know what happened to Alyssa Turnbull.
She was living in Nipigon at the time of her disappearance.
Turnbull is described as 5'3" tall, weighing about 100 pounds, with shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes. She may have changed her hair colour to purple or red.
OPP have interviewed dozens of people and collected several pieces of evidence in the course of their lengthy investigation.
