Massachusetts police have begun an investigation after a group of teenagers stumbled upon a human leg in a pond located in Shirley.

The incident is being investigated as a possible homicide after the remains of 69-year-old Peter Degan from Rockland were found earlier this week, as reported by CBS News.

On Wednesday, just after 5:30 pm, a group of young people walking along the Veterans Memorial Bridge spotted what they believed was a human leg in water, off Phoenix Road. 

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan disclosed that additional body parts were discovered by police following the initial find.

“These remains appeared to have been precisely severed with a sharp instrument,” Ryan stated during a news conference on Thursday evening. She added that while the complete body has not yet been recovered, the search is ongoing.

Degan, who was identified through fingerprint analysis, was last spotted alive on February 27, according to CBS News.

Degan was released from MCI Shirley, a medium-security state prison, on February 6 after serving time for a 2019 conviction in which he pled guilty to cocaine trafficking and distribution charges, as confirmed by law enforcement.

At the time of his arrest, two kilos of cocaine and a large sum of money were recovered at his residence. 

He had been residing at a Pre-Release Center in Rockland at the time of his disappearance, according to Ryan.

“Currently, investigators do not believe this was a random attack,” the District’s Attorney’s office said.

An official cause of death has not been determined.

Check back for updates.

[Feature Photo: Peter Degan/ Middlesex District Attorney]