N.B. RCMP releases name of Moncton homicide victim

The New Brunswick police have released the name of a woman whose body was found in a garbage bin.

The RCMP has released the name of a woman whose body was found inside a garbage bin in Moncton, N.B., last month.

Police identified the victim as 39-year-old Melissa Price on Monday.

Investigators have not said how she died, but confirmed they are treating her death as a homicide and an isolated incident.

“As police continue to investigate the matter, the NB RCMP would like to reassure the public that there is no on-going concern for public safety, as this is believed to be an isolated incident,” said the RCMP on Monday.

Police responded to a report of a sudden death on High Street around 12:10 p.m. on Feb. 15. When officers arrived, they found the woman’s body inside a garbage bin near a walking trail.

Graham Hill, who lives next to where her body was found, previously told CTV News Atlantic his roommate made the discovery and called 911.

“It’s disturbing,” said Hill on Feb. 16. “We get a lot of homeless people around this area. At the end of the road, we often get shopping carts and garbage that’s been gone through, and that’s what my roommate thought he had seen.”

The RCMP also conducted operations on Norwood Avenue on Feb. 16 and on Vail Street on Feb. 19, both in connection with the homicide investigation. But they have said little else about the case.

Last week, homeless advocate Charlie Burrell told CTV News Atlantic he was disappointed in the lack of information released by the RCMP. He made a public plea on Facebook, asking for answers.

“It’s deeply disturbing that there have been no meaningful updates from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police regarding the horrific murder of a woman in Moncton whose body was found stuffed in a garbage can and left on the side of the road,” said The Humanity Project founder in his March 4 post, which garnered hundreds of shares and comments.

“This woman deserves justice. Her loved ones deserve answers. Our community deserves to know that this case is being treated with urgency and care.”

Burrell said he understands it’s an ongoing investigation, and not all information can be made public, but he noted people living on the streets of Moncton are scared.

“I think that if you look around Moncton with the drive-by shootings, murders and the assaults, there’s a lot of people feeling unsafe in their own community. For the people that are actually out on their streets and living out there, they feel unsafe,” Burrell told CTV News Atlantic’s Derek Haggett on Thursday.

“She was a good person. She didn’t deserve this. I’m a father. I’m a human being and I care about my community and there are people out there who loved her and who cared about her and who have heard nothing.”

Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the New Brunswick RCMP’s Major Crime Unit at 1-888-506-7267.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.