REGINA — The Regina Police Service (RPS) has identified a man whose remains were found buried in North Central Regina earlier this summer.
The remains of Wayne Joseph Breed, who would have been 34 years old, were discovered June 9 after the RPS received a call for service in the 1300 block of Retallack Street.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, RPS Chief Lorilee Davies confirmed Breed was from the area after police contacted his family.
“My understanding is he was someone from Regina, and the family is still in the area.”
After finding the body, police began collaborating with different policing agencies, including the Regina Police Service Major Crimes Unit, Regina Police Service Forensic Identification Unit, Saskatchewan Coroners Service and the RCMP Historical Case Unit, to gather evidence related to the suspicious death.
However, police did not find Breed’s name in any missing-person databases.
“Anytime there’s a missing person report, that file stays open until we receive information. We did not have any report of him being a missing person here in Regina,” said Davies.
It remains unclear why Breed had not been reported missing by his family.
With no luck in the databases, police began asking for the public’s help, combining current evidence to open new leads.
This led to a request for a DNA match through the national RCMP DNA database.
Earlier this week, police said a match was confirmed.
“With this, the investigation will continue in terms of trying to determine the circumstances that led to the death,” said Davies.
Police are not ruling out foul play in Breed’s death.
“It’s not common for someone’s remains to be discovered in a backyard, so that naturally raises suspicion. At this point, everything is on the table as we work to determine how this happened. All possibilities remain open as the investigation continues,” said Davies.
Police are also hoping to determine the year in which Breed passed away.
