The black lid was lifted… and a community’s worst nightmare spilled out.

On a cold February afternoon in Moncton, New Brunswick, a horrified resident reached into an ordinary outdoor garbage bin beside a peaceful walking trail – and recoiled in absolute terror.

Inside, crammed between black bags and household waste, was the body of 39-year-old Melissa Price. Partially clothed, dumped like yesterday’s rubbish, left to rot only metres from where families stroll with their dogs and children ride bikes.

Neighbours still cannot speak of that moment without tears. “It was like something from a horror film,” one woman who lives on High Street told the Daily Mail yesterday. “That bin had been there for days. People walked past it. Kids played near it. And all the time… she was inside.”

Now, in a shocking breakthrough that has rocked the Maritime city, police have arrested 35-year-old Devlin O’Blenis and charged him with first-degree murder.

The charge means investigators believe the killing was planned and deliberate. O’Blenis appeared in court via video link yesterday, expressionless, as the horrific details of Melissa’s final hours began to leak out.

But one question still hangs over the entire investigation like a dark cloud: what really happened to Melissa Price in the terrifying hours before her body was hidden in that bin?

RCMP sources say they are now piecing together a timeline of unimaginable brutality – and disturbing new details are emerging that suggest the murder was no spur-of-the-moment crime.

The grim discovery was made on February 15, 2025, just after noon. A man taking out his own rubbish on High Street near Wheeler Boulevard noticed the bin looked unusually full. He lifted the lid… and immediately called 911.

Within minutes Codiac RCMP officers swarmed the scene. Yellow tape went up. Forensic teams in white suits arrived. The walking trail – normally bustling with joggers – was shut down.

What they found inside the bin has left even seasoned detectives shaken. Melissa’s body had been forced into the container in a foetal position. There were signs of significant trauma. No weapon was found at the scene, but sources say the injuries suggest a violent struggle that ended in her death.

The bin itself was one of several large black containers placed along the trail for public use. It had not been emptied for several days – meaning Melissa could have been inside for up to 48 hours before she was discovered.

“It’s unthinkable,” said a senior RCMP officer who cannot be named. “Someone took a human life, then treated the victim like garbage. The callousness is beyond comprehension.”

The investigation exploded into action. Over the next several days RCMP officers executed search warrants at multiple locations across Moncton. An apartment building on Norwood Avenue, roughly a kilometre from the bin, became the focus of intense activity. Forensic teams spent hours inside. Neighbours spoke of seeing evidence bags being carried out and unmarked police cars parked for days.

Then, last Monday, the breakthrough the city had been waiting for.

At approximately 11:30 a.m., officers arrested Devlin Earl Edward O’Blenis at a residence in the city. The 35-year-old was taken into custody without incident and charged with first-degree murder.

O’Blenis has a documented history with the justice system. Court records show he was previously wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breaching release conditions in 2024. He was described at the time as 6ft tall, around 190lbs, with brown hair and blue eyes.

Yesterday he made his first court appearance in Moncton provincial court. The hearing was brief and closed to the public, but sources inside the courtroom say the judge ordered him remanded in custody until his next appearance. No plea has yet been entered.

RCMP have refused to say exactly how O’Blenis knew Melissa Price. Was she a girlfriend? An ex-partner? A casual acquaintance? Police will only confirm that the death is not believed to be random and that they are treating it as a targeted killing.

But as investigators dig deeper, disturbing details about the days leading up to the murder are beginning to surface.

Neighbours on Norwood Avenue have told the Daily Mail they frequently heard raised voices coming from the apartment O’Blenis was linked to. One woman who lives on the same floor said she once called police after hearing what sounded like furniture being thrown and a woman screaming.

“Melissa was a quiet lady,” the neighbour said, asking not to be named. “She kept to herself. But in the weeks before she disappeared we saw her looking frightened. She had bruises on her arms once. We asked if she was okay and she just said ‘it’s nothing’. We should have done more.”

Another resident described seeing O’Blenis and Melissa arguing outside the building just days before the body was found. “He was shouting. She was crying. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside. I wish I had called the police then.”

Police sources say they are now examining phone records, CCTV from the area around the walking trail, and witness statements from the days before February 15. They are also looking at whether a vehicle was used to transport the body – because moving a dead or dying woman to the bin without being seen would have required planning.

The first-degree murder charge strongly suggests premeditation. In Canada that means prosecutors believe the killing was not just violent, but calculated.

Melissa Price’s devastated family have been left in limbo. Her mother, Pat Price, spoke briefly to local media outside court yesterday, her voice breaking. “My daughter was a kind, gentle woman who never hurt anyone. She didn’t deserve to end up in a garbage bin. We just want answers. We want justice.”

Friends describe Melissa as someone who had been trying to rebuild her life in Moncton after personal struggles. She was well-liked at her part-time job and had recently started volunteering at a local animal shelter. “She had a big heart,” one friend said. “This has shattered everyone who knew her.”

The discovery of Melissa’s body sent shockwaves through the tight-knit High Street neighbourhood. For days after the find, residents avoided the walking trail completely. Parents kept children indoors. One local business owner installed extra security cameras “just in case”.

“Everyone is looking at each other differently now,” said a man whose roommate was the one who actually opened the bin. “You wonder who among us is capable of something like this. The bin is gone now – the city removed it – but the image is burned into our minds forever.”

A makeshift memorial has sprung up at the spot where the bin once stood. Flowers, teddy bears, candles and handwritten notes cover the grass. One note reads simply: “Melissa, you were loved. Rest in peace.” Another says: “The monster who did this will pay.”

As the investigation continues, RCMP have appealed for anyone who saw anything suspicious in the days before February 15 to come forward. They are particularly interested in CCTV or dashcam footage from the area around the trail and the Norwood Avenue apartment.

Detectives are also re-interviewing people who knew both O’Blenis and Melissa. One source close to the probe told the Daily Mail that “several witnesses have provided statements that are helping build a very clear picture of the relationship and the final days”.

The multi-day search across several locations has yielded “significant evidence”, police say, though they will not elaborate. Forensic results from the bin and the apartment are expected to be crucial when the case eventually goes to trial.

O’Blenis’s arrest has brought a strange mix of relief and fresh horror to Moncton. For many, the idea that the man charged could have walked among them – perhaps even spoken to them – is terrifying.

One woman who used to see O’Blenis at a local gym said: “He seemed normal. Quiet. Never caused trouble. That’s what scares me the most. Monsters don’t always look like monsters.”

Women’s support groups in New Brunswick have reported a spike in calls since the arrest. Many are asking why warning signs – if any existed – were not acted upon sooner.

A spokesperson for a Moncton domestic violence shelter said: “Cases like this remind us how quickly things can escalate. We urge anyone in an abusive situation to reach out early. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”

The city itself is still processing the brutality of the crime. Moncton is known for its friendly Maritime spirit and tidal bore – not for murders involving garbage bins. The case has dominated local news for weeks, with daily updates and public appeals for information.

Psychologists have warned that the graphic nature of the discovery could cause lasting trauma for first responders and witnesses. Counselling has been offered to those involved in the initial response.

Meanwhile, the question that haunts everyone remains unanswered: what happened to Melissa Price in those final hours?

Was there a violent argument that spiralled out of control? Was she lured somewhere and attacked? Did she fight back? How did her body end up in that bin without anyone noticing?

Investigators are working around the clock to answer those questions. Every text message, every phone ping, every CCTV frame is being examined.

O’Blenis sits in custody, presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But for Melissa’s family and the people of Moncton, the pain is real and immediate.

They want answers. They want the full timeline. They want to know why a 39-year-old woman who was simply trying to live her life ended up discarded like trash on a public walking trail.

The black garbage bin that became her final resting place has been removed. The trail has reopened. But the horror of what was found inside it will never be erased.

Flowers continue to pile up at the memorial. Candles burn late into the night. And the people of Moncton wait – hoping that justice, when it finally comes, will be as merciless as the crime itself.

RCMP say the investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact them immediately or call Crime Stoppers anonymously.

Melissa Price’s life mattered. She was a daughter, a friend, a woman with dreams and hopes. Her death in that garbage bin was not just a crime – it was an act of pure evil.

And now, with Devlin O’Blenis behind bars, the city holds its breath for the truth to finally come out.