RCMP say an autopsy has confirmed that missing Kamloops woman Jo-Anne Donovan was the victim of homicide.

The body of the 57-year-old woman was found near her home on March 22, roughly one week after she was reported missing to the RCMP.

Police say the autopsy – which was scheduled for Tuesday – confirmed the identity and the cause of her death.

“Sadly, the autopsy results verified what investigators initially suspected, that Jo-Anne Donovan was the victim of homicide,” said Corporal Dave Marshall of the Kamloops RCMP Serious Crime Unit.

“As our investigation continues, so too does our appeal for more information from the public to help us timeline Jo-Anne’s last movements and determine exactly what transpired.”

Donovan was known to frequent the North Shore and Brocklehurst areas of Kamloops, with Mounties noting she also enjoyed going for walks around McArthur Island Park, Kamloops Airport, and Tranquille Farms.

Marshall is also asking anyone people who may have seen Donovan or her grey Chevrolet Impala around March 13, the date she is believed to have gone missing, to contact the RCMP.

“Police are also seeking to speak with anyone who recently spoke with Jo-Anne or visited her residence, who has not already been contacted by investigators,” said Cpl. Marshall.

An extensive forensic search of Jo-Anne’s residence and vehicle have and continue to be conducted, with assistance from the Forensic Identification Services Unit, General Investigation Support Team, and frontline officers.

No further information will be provided at this time to protect the integrity of the investigation.

The Kamloops RCMP Serious Crime Unit is asking anyone who has any information regarding Jo-Anne Donovan to contact the detachment at 250-828-3000.