Euarchol Wanichpan, a 25-year-old woman who has been missing since July 30, has been identified as the person found buried and wrapped in a tarp on the grounds of S.J. Willis Educational Centre.
Major crime investigators suspect foul play and are asking for the public’s help in trying to piece together Wanichpan’s movements between the time she was last seen and when her body was discovered. Wanichpan was last seen in the Landsdowne area of Saanich on July 30 and reported missing to Saanich police the next day.
Her disappearance was considered suspicious and on Aug. 9, the file was turned over to the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, which probes homicides and suspicious deaths.
Police have not released the cause of death but said the public is not at risk. “Wanichpan is a daughter and a sister and we will continue to work with her family who have requested privacy during this difficult time,” said E Division RCMP spokeswoman Staff Sgt. Annie Linteau.
A man working at the S.J. Willis grounds on Tuesday said he found the body buried and wrapped in a tarp after he and fellow workers noticed a foul smell and searched for its source.
Wanichpan had been a student at Camosun College, where she studied art.
Before that, she was a student at Victoria High School. After high school, she worked in restaurants and lived in Vancouver for a time, friends said.
“I went to high school with her, and I would describe her as a really down-to-earth person, extremely free spirited and vivacious,” said friend Helen Tran.
She said she only knew her as a classmate. “When we were freshmen, her English was not so great, but she didn’t close herself off to only hanging out with other Thai kids. She made sure to try to make friends with everyone. She was just so fun, and was just so friendly and brought a lot of laughter to everyone around her.”
The grounds at S.J. Willis remained behind police tape on Friday as officers meticulously excavated soil in a grassy fenced-in area overlooking Topaz Avenue, where the body was found on Tuesday.
Officers used shovels and carefully sifted dirt through a metal tray.
Other officers used weed-trimmers to hack away dense brush at the back of the school.
The “exhaustive search” includes “the search of nearby soil and areas partially concealed by the growth of brush and vegetation,” said Island district RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Tammy Douglas.
“Investigators are taking a methodical approach during their examination to ensure a thorough search is completed.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the police major crimes information line at 250-380-6211, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222- TIPS (8477).
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Related:
Friends are fundraising to help Euarchol Wanichpan's family with expenses
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