Canada Journal – News of the World Articles and videos to bring you the biggest Canadian news stories from across the country every day
Denise Pikka Thiem, Missing Pilgrim’s Body Found On Suspect’s Farm.
Denise Pikka Thiem went missing near Astorga, in Leon province, in April as she was walking the world-famous Camino de Santiago.
Spanish officers said they have arrested a man over her disappearance after “months of intense investigations”.
The 41-year-old’s body was found on the suspect’s farm, according to local reports.
An update on a Facebook site set up by friends to find her said: “Please join me, once again, in lifting up Denise’s brother and parents in their time of grief and anxiety.”
Denise, who quit her job in Arizona last year to travel the world, stopped posting pictures on social media and communicating with friends on 4 April.
She decided to hike the Camino de Santiago after watching the 2010 film The Way, starring Martin Sheen.
“Denise was on the last leg of a journey of self-discovery that spanned three continents and more than 20,000 miles,” according to the Facebook page.
“Life for her had become less about material things and more about focusing on what she felt had genuine meaning in her life: her brother, her dogs, and her family.”
The Camino de Santiago is an ancient pilgrimage to the shrine of the apostle St James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, where his remains are believed to be buried.
In the 13th century, around 500,000 pilgrims walked there every year.
Over the past three decades there has been a huge revival in interest, with tens of thousands of people making the journey on foot or bicycle every year.
Agencies/Canadajournal
