Common-law partner of missing Hamilton woman charged with second-degree murder

Hamilton police say the common-law partner of Shalini Singh has now been charged with second-degree murder after human remains found at a landfill site were linked to the missing woman.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Det.-Sgt. Daryl Reid said investigators received results of DNA analysis on Friday confirming that partial human remains found at the Glanbrook Landfill last month belong to the 40-year-old missing woman, who disappeared in December of last year.

Singh’s common-law partner, 42-year-old Burlington resident Jeffrey Smith, was arrested without incident on Friday, Reid said. Smith has been charged with second-degree murder and indignity to human remains.

Singh was last heard from at around 7:10 p.m. on Dec. 4 and reported missing by her family on Dec. 10.

In the early days of the investigation, police were initially searching for both Singh and her common-law partner, but he was located on Dec. 11 after police said he’d been visiting a family member outside of Hamilton.

Police previously said the case was quickly assigned to the homicide unit in December based on “emerging evidence” and concern for Singh’s wellbeing.

Reid told reporters last month that “extensive” video surveillance footage from Singh’s building showed that she returned to her unit but was never spotted leaving the building again.

Reid said Monday that police believe she was killed sometime between the evening of Dec. 4 and the early morning hours of Dec. 5.

“As the investigation progressed, we began to consider the possibility that Shalini may have been disposed and removed from the building by way of the garbage disposal system,” Reid said in May.

Using GPS data, investigators said they were able to pinpoint a location of the landfill site to look for Singh’s body and a formal search was launched in February.

Last month, police announced that partial human remains were discovered at the landfill after officers spent months combing through thousands of cubic metres of waste.

Reid said police hope to wrap up their search at the landfill later this week.

“It’s a horrible environment to be searching in,” he said Monday. “The heat this week is going to make it extremely difficult for them.”

Reid said Singh’s family has been notified about the significant development in the case.

“This is not only about resolving an investigation but it is about giving answers to a family who have waited a very long time to get to this point,” he said.

“And even though they have waited this long and the moment has built up to this, it still is a shock to them to get the confirmation.”