Neighbors and another person close to the case of a missing woman from Port Moody whose remains were later found say her husband was the person arrested by police on Friday afternoon.
Trina Hunt, 48, was reported missing at her home in the city’s Heritage Mountain neighborhood by her husband, Iain Hunt, on January 18, 2021.
His disappearance led to a months-long search that involved hundreds of people, coordinated through social media.
His remains were found in an area south of Silver Creek in Hope, BC, just over two months later. The RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) subsequently took over the case.
Police returned to the couple’s home on Friday afternoon and arrested a man, but did not identify him or confirm whether charges had been recommended to prosecutors.
IHIT said on Friday that it would not release any names as no charges have been filed.
IHIT said more details will be provided on Saturday or later this weekend.
The residence where Trina Hunt lived in Port Moody as seen on Saturday. On Friday, police returned to the house where they arrested and arrested a man. (Murray Titus / CBC News)
On Saturday, residents of the community who saw the arrest or watched a video of the arrest told CBC News that the detainee was Iain Hunt.
Laurie Price-Harvey lives next door to the Hunt residence.
“I think it’s a general relief,” he said. “It’s been hard to see all his photos out there. It’s incredibly sad and weird.”
A sign in Port Moody asking for information about Trina Hunt’s disappearance and death. (Murray Titus / CBC News)
Since Trina Hunt’s disappearance and the discovery of her remains, members of the community and others have been conducting searches for Hunt, although they say her disappearance was out of the question.
Once her death was confirmed, advocates focused on justice for the murdered woman, by posting posters, stickers and lawn signs that said #JusticeforTrina across the Lower Mainland.
Jenn Lamont, who says she never met Trina Hunt but shared acquaintances, created a Facebook page and a Reddit group that sought advice and shared information about the case.
“The community gathered around the family,” he said Saturday. “There was something wrong, from the first moment with this story.”
‘Shock’
Lamont congratulated investigators on their work on the case and said he has been in contact with Trina Hunt’s family since the arrest officers made it on Friday.
“I think it’s a shock even though you expected that,” he said.
Hunt’s cousin Stephanie Ibbott told CBC that Hunt’s family has not yet received much information about the arrest.
Last June, Hunt’s family offered $ 50,000 to anyone who could provide information to the RCMP, according to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT).