Authorities in Saint Lucia are relying on forensic DNA analysis to formally confirm whether an unidentified decomposed female body recovered near the Millennium Highway belongs to missing local resident Merrisa Auguste, with one individual already taken into custody as part of the ongoing investigation. The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) outlined key next steps in an official public statement released Sunday, noting that a post-mortem examination has been scheduled for Monday to pinpoint the exact cause of death of the deceased. While preliminary investigative work has led authorities to strongly suspect the remains are those of Auguste, who disappeared in early September, police emphasized that formal legal identification has not been completed. “Law enforcement cannot conclusively confirm that the body discovered is that of Merrisa Auguste until science dictates it,” the RSLPF’s statement read. The discovery of the body unfolded on Friday afternoon, after a local citizen filed a report with police at approximately 4:40 p.m. alerting officers to the remains located in a bushy, undeveloped stretch of land adjacent to the Millennium Highway. Responding officers reached the scene quickly and verified the discovery, and a licensed medical practitioner officially pronounced the individual dead around two hours later, at 6 p.m. Due to the advanced state of decomposition of the remains, on-site formal identification was not possible for investigators. Just one day after the body was found, on Saturday, police took one person into custody in connection with the case. That individual remains detained at a police facility as the inquiry progresses, per official updates. Auguste, a resident of Boguis, Babonneau, was first reported missing to authorities on the afternoon of Thursday, September 10. Her disappearance was noted to have started around 5 p.m. the previous day, September 9. Shortly after her missing person report was filed, Auguste’s pink Honda Fit, bearing the license registration number PU1689, was found abandoned and locked along the Ti Colon road in Castries. The vehicle bore handwritten text “TOP GIRL RIRI” on its front windshield, according to reports. The RSLPF’s Major Crimes Unit is heading up the investigation, and department leadership has made clear that no resources will be spared to pursue the case. “We will spare no effort, resource or avenue in this investigation – even if we have to bring in international experts to assist our teams,” the force said. Investigators are now issuing a public appeal for information from anyone who may have relevant details to help move the case forward. Specifically, police are asking for insight from any motorists or pedestrians who traveled along the Millennium Highway before Friday afternoon, and who may have noticed suspicious behavior, out-of-the-ordinary vehicle parking, or other unusual activity in the area where the body was found. Authorities are also requesting reports from anyone who witnessed odd activity or movements near Auguste’s abandoned vehicle while it was parked along the Ti Colon road. Members of the public with any information, no matter how small it may seem, have multiple channels to submit tips: they can contact the Major Crimes Unit directly at 456-3754, call the RSLPF’s dedicated Crime Hotline at 555, or file an anonymous report through the official RSLPF Crime Hotline mobile application.