Autopsy results are complete on the body recovered from a ditch in Ottawa’s south end on Sunday morning. Ottawa Police confirm that the body is that of 28-year-old Melissa Richmond of Winchester.

Earlier today, inch by inch, Ottawa police officers searched the bushes beside the South Keys parking lot where the body had been found Sunday morning. The police underwater search and recovery unit scoured the water in the adjacent creek, looking for evidence to help explain what happened here.

“She left and that was the last they heard of her, that was it,” says family friend Shelley Rabinovitch.

Friends and family of Melissa Richmond were looking for answers too, five days after they reported the vivacious 28-year-old missing. Her car was found at South Keys on Friday. Police found the body two days later.

"I'd sure like to know why it took Ottawa Police two days to find the body they found when it's in the same general area of the parking lot,” says Rabinovitch.

She says it was a worker at the nearby Denny's restaurant who spotted Richmond's car in the parking lot on Friday. Inside, on the backseat, was her workout bag.  On the front seat, says Rabinovitch, was her purse, untouched.”

Richmond had gone for a drive Wednesday night, after returning home from an outing with her husband who is a warrant officer with the Canadian Forces. It was the last they saw of her.  Friends mounted a massive, unsuccessful search, and today, gathered at the Winchester home the couple had recently purchased.

Both shared a passion for historical re-enactment. It's how Shelley Rabinovitch met Melissa a decade ago.

“This is a home of love and it was supposed to be a home of love for the rest of their lives,” says Rabinovitch, who calls herself Richmond’s adopted mother and mentor.

Melissa Richmond's husband, Howard, was too distraught to talk to CTV Ottawa on camera.  But on a Facebook page, dedicated to finding his wife, he thanked everyone for all the work they had done including the police who have had the difficult job of finding and identifying the body.

Police say currently no information on possible suspect in Melissa Richmond homicide investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide is urged to call the OPS Major Crime Section at 613-236-1222 ext. 5493 or the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch at 1-888-310-1122, Crime Stoppers at 613-233-8477(TIPS) or toll free at 1-800-222-8477.