A FOURTH lot of human remains were found in the Maribyrnong River on Sunday morning, as police are closer to confirming the identity of the deceased.
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Detectives believe they have now identified the person, but are yet to gain forensic confirmation.
A member of the public was going for her morning row in the vicinity of the Maribyrnong Road bridge when a plastic bag was located around 8am.
Upon closer inspection the woman saw what she believed to be human remains inside the bag.
Immediately after the discovery police were notified and attended the scene. The item is believed to be human body parts.
The circumstances surrounding the discoveries are being investigated by the Homicide Squad but at this stage police believe this morning’s find is linked to human remains found in the Maribyrnong over the past few days.
Police have been scouring the river since Thursday when a human arm was spotted floating upstream in Moonee Ponds, launching the investigation.
Homicide Squad detectives are treating the incident as suspicious and are sending the remains off to be forensically examined.
Until the identity has been confirmed police will not provide details of the deceased person's identity.
Detective Inspector Mick Hughes said he would like to thank the public and the media for continued support and information during the course of the investigation.
“The response from the public has been tremendous”. Detective Inspector Hughes said.
“Despite the confronting nature of these discoveries people have acted quickly and contacted police immediately.
“The information provided has enabled investigators to act quickly and secure the items proving crucial in the investigation.”
A third body part was found in the Maribyrnong River on Saturday morning
A passerby made the gruesome discovery of a leg in a plastic bag at 11.20am near Oakland Street in Maribyrnong in Melbourne's west.
The leg was found 500 metres downstream near Oakland Street, prompting police to broaden their search.
A number of phone calls were made to Crime Stoppers from members of the public after police released an image of the distinctive tattoo imprinted on the forearm found floating in the river at Moonee Ponds on Thursday afternoon.
Inspector Hughes said the body parts were no more than seven days old.
Police are confident the remains relate to only one person and urge anyone who sees anything suspicious in the Maribyrnong River to notify police immediately on triple zero (000).
Investigators are appealing to any person who may have knowledge of the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
