The discovery of Nicole Bell's remains on a rural property in Salmon Arm has shed light on the case of a woman missing since 2017, with suspicions pointing towards Curtis Sagmoen as the potential suspect.

Nicole Bell, a 31-year-old mother of three, was last seen in Sicamous on Sept. 2, 2017. On May 5, Salmon Arm RCMP received a report of human remains found in rural Salmon Arm, leading to an extensive search that confirmed the remains were human.

The BC Coroners Service identified the remains as Nicole Bell's, who had been reported missing from Sicamous on Sept. 7, 2017. Investigations revealed that Bell's disappearance involved foul play.

Supt. Sanjaya Wijayakoon, the operations officer for the Major Crimes program, highlighted the media attention surrounding Bell's case, as she was one of five women who went missing in the North Okanagan around the same time. While the disappearances were not linked to a single serial perpetrator, the primary suspect in Bell's death is believed to be the same as that of Traci Genereaux.

Genereaux's remains were discovered on a Salmon Arm rural property on Oct. 20, 2017, after she had been reported missing on June 9 of that year. Although Curtis Sagmoen was not explicitly named by authorities, he was a person of interest in Genereaux's case, and Bell's family had also identified him as a person of interest in her disappearance.

Sagmoen was found deceased in the Tiki Village Motel in Vernon earlier this year, and he was never charged in connection to either woman's death. Major Crimes assured the public that there is no ongoing threat to public safety, as the primary suspect in Bell's case is no longer alive.

While additional individuals involved in the offense have not been ruled out, Mounties are continuing their investigations into both Bell's and Genereaux's deaths. Anyone with information regarding their disappearances or deaths is urged to contact the RCMP Major Crimes information line at 1-877-987-8477.

Sources: Castanet