Authorities in Massachusetts have identified the victim whose dismembered body parts were discovered in a pond by a group of teenagers earlier this month. The disturbing discovery was made while the teens were playing in the snow near a bridge, prompting a major investigation by local law enforcement.
Teenagers Discover Human Limb in Pond
On March 4, a group of teenagers were having fun in the snow near a bridge over Phoenix Pond in Shirley, Massachusetts when they noticed something unusual in the water.
After looking closer, the teens realised what they had found appeared to be a human body part. Police later confirmed that the object discovered in the pond was indeed a human limb.
The Shirley Police Department addressed the situation in a Facebook post the same day, confirming that authorities had been called to investigate the shocking discovery.
Witness Describes Disturbing Scene
Katy Marsh, who was walking her dog near the pond at the time, said she saw the teenagers reacting to the discovery.
According to Marsh, the teens were visibly shaken after seeing the body part. She said they appeared sick and shocked by what they had found.
Marsh told local media that she heard the teenagers repeatedly saying how disturbing the discovery was. She also recalled hearing someone identify the limb as a human leg.
Teen Who Found Limb Speaks Out
One of the teenagers who made the discovery, 15-year-old Dominic Dunn, later spoke about the experience.
He explained that the situation was especially upsetting because his younger siblings were nearby while they were playing in the snow.
Dunn said they had been enjoying a snowball fight when the moment quickly turned into something disturbing.
The teen described the discovery as something he never expected to encounter and said it was difficult to process.
Police Dive Team Finds Additional Remains
After the initial report, authorities sent a police diving team to search the pond for more evidence.
During the search, investigators located additional body parts in the water.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan later confirmed during a press conference that the recovered limbs appeared to have been carefully cut.
Officials said the body parts had been “clean cut” and were likely severed using a sharp instrument.
Although investigators did not recover a complete body, they confirmed that all of the remains found belonged to the same person.
Victim Identified Through Fingerprints
Authorities identified the victim as 69-year-old Peter Degan.
Investigators used fingerprints to confirm his identity after recovering the remains from the pond.
Ryan said that while the full body was not located, the evidence collected so far indicates that the remains all belong to Degan.
Background of the Victim
According to officials, Degan was a convicted felon who had recently been released from prison.
He had previously pleaded guilty in 2019 to charges involving money laundering and cocaine trafficking.
Degan had served his sentence and was released from the MCI-Shirley medium-security prison on February 6. After his release, he was living in a pre-release house.
Authorities said Degan was last seen alive on February 27, just days before the body parts were discovered.
Investigation Continues
Law enforcement officials have not yet announced any suspects in the case. Investigators continue to examine evidence and gather information about Degan’s final days.
Authorities are working to determine how his death occurred and who may be responsible for the dismemberment and disposal of the remains.
The case remains under active investigation as police search for answers in the disturbing discovery that shocked the local community.
