Human remains identified as investigation into death in Dinorwic continues

Tim Brody - Editor

Further details have been released by the Ontario Provincial Police regarding a set of circumstances police have been investigating in Dinorwic.

“Shortly after 6:00 pm on Thursday November 5, 2020 members of the Dryden detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a 911 call of a disturbance at a Railway Avenue residence in the town of Dinorwic, Ontario. Dryden EMS and police arrived to discover a male with life threatening injuries. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene,” Ontario Provincial Police shared.

The deceased was identified as 75-year-old Richard McLeod of Dinorwic. Ontario Provincial Police have been treating McLeod’s death as a homicide.

“While at the scene of the homicide, officers responded to a residential fire on a neighboring property owned by Daniel Lethbridge. The Dinorwic Volunteer Fire Department were called to the second scene to assist. Human remains were located in the fire damaged residence. A Post Mortem examination was conducted in Toronto, which involved the Ontario Forensic Pathology Services (OFPS) - Forensic Anthropology and the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario.

“On February 3, 2021 the Office of the Chief Coroner positively identified the human remains as 48-year-old Daniel Lethbridge,” 

police shared.

OPP North West Crime Unit continues to investigate both incidents under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB). Also assisting in the investigation are members from the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management (OFMEM).

According to the OPP, there are no public safety concerns at this time.