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Authorities in Massachusetts have begun an investigation following the discovery of a human leg by teenagers in a pond located in Shirley.
The incident is being investigated as a potential homicide after the body parts of 69-year-old Peter Degan from Rockland were found earlier this week, as reported by CBS News.
On Wednesday, just after 5:30 pm, a group of young people walking along the Veterans Memorial Bridge spotted what they believed was a human leg in water, off Phoenix Road.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed that additional remains have been retrieved by the police.
“The body parts appear to have been severed with a sharp instrument,” Ryan revealed during a Thursday evening press briefing. She added that the entire body has yet to be found, and the search efforts are ongoing.
Degan, whose identity was confirmed through fingerprint analysis, was last seen on February 27, according to CBS News.
Law enforcement released Degan on February 6 from MCI Shirley, a medium-security state prison, following a 2019 arrest where he pleded guilty to charges of trafficking and distribution of cocaine.
At the time of his arrest, two kilos of cocaine and a large sum of money were recovered at his residence.
He had been residing at a Pre-Release Center in Rockland at the time of his disappearance, according to Ryan.
“Currently, investigators do not believe this was a random attack,” the District’s Attorney’s office said.
An official cause of death has not been determined.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Peter Degan/ Middlesex District Attorney]