Body of woman missing from Church and Wellesley found

The body of Tess Richey, the 22-year-old woman who went missing from the Church and Wellesley area early Saturday morning, has been found, police confirm.

Toronto police could not immediately confirm the cause of death.However, police spokesperson Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook said the body was found Wednesday night near Church and Dundonald streets.

Today would have been Richey's23rd birthday.

• 'We need our girl back.' Family of missing woman pleads for information

Investigators were expected toreleasemore information Thursday morning.

Earlier this week, Richey's sisters told CBC Toronto that the entire family was always in close contact, and it was uncharacteristic of Tess not to reply to text messages.

Tess had left the home of her sister, Rachel Richey, around 11:30 p.m. on Friday for a night out with an old friend from high school.

Rachel Richey said she texted Tess Saturday morning, but when she didn't get a response she figured Tess was sleeping. She grew concerned through the day as her texts and calls remained unanswered.

The family searched Tess's apartment and filed a missing person's report with police.

On Monday, police issued a news release saying they were concerned for Tess's safety.

Tess's friend, Ryley Simard, told CBC Toronto on Monday that she last saw her friend around 4 a.m. Saturday, when she decided to head home after their night out. The two had gone to Crews & Tango, a drag club on Church Street, and were very intoxicated when they left sometime after 1:30 a.m., Simard said.

The pair then met up with a man and a woman, and hung out outside the woman's home on Dundonald Street for some time.

The last Simard said she saw of Tess was at 4 a.m., when Simard left the group to go home.

TheRichey family's last contact with her was a notification at 3 a.m. Saturday from Tess's FitBit, anda series of Uber messages at 4 a.m. in which it appeared Tess ordered a car but never got in.

From the messages, which went to her mother's phone because it is a shared account, it was unclear whether the driver or Tess cancelled the call.