Police have found a body in a rural area 12 kilometers east of Orangeville, on a sideroad in Caledon.

The Ontario Provincial Police forensics unit is on the scene, but police won’t divulge any details on the identity of the victim pending positive identification, or reveal if this discovery is related to the disappearance of 42-year-old nurse Sonia Varaschin.

"The coroner has attended the scene and has confirmed that the remains are human. A post-mortem examination will be conducted at the office of the chief coroner at a later date and time," said Ontario Provincial Police Const. Jonathan Beckett.

Police said they have contacted Varaschin’s family to alert them to the discovery.

The remains are said to have been found by a person walking their dog in the area around 9am Sunday morning.

A local resident told Citytv she was jogging on the road yesterday and smelled something bad, and suspected it was a dead animal. She came back Sunday to show her husband the scene.

Varaschin was reported missing Monday after she failed to show up for work.  Her car was found smeared with blood near Orangeville’s main square early Monday morning and police later found blood in and around her home.

Authorities admitted Tuesday the nurse had met with foul play. On Thursday it was revealed the woman’s family has been told to expect the worst.

With files from the Canadian Press