The body of Truro, N.S., police Const. Catherine Campbell, who had been missing since Sept. 10, has been found, and Halifax Regional Police are treating the death as a homicide.

An officer found the body of a woman shortly after midnight, in a wooded area east of Barrington Street at North Street in Halifax, police said. They don't believe the murder is related to the officer's work.

Halifax police were holding three scenes Wednesday as part of their investigation into Campbell's death: Under the Macdonald bridge where her remains were found, as well as a home on McCully Street in Halifax (left) and a home on Chadwick Place in the Clayton Park suburb (right). (CBC)

"While an autopsy is scheduled for later today [Wednesday], investigators in the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division believe the remains to be those of 36-year-old Catherine Campbell and are treating her death as a homicide," police said in a statement.

At a news conference Wednesday, police said they suspected Campbell was dead Tuesday afternoon and the missing persons case turned into a homicide investigation.

A 27-year-old Halifax man was arrested at 1:20 a.m. Wednesday in Clayton Park and is being questioned. Police have 24 hours to lay a charge or release the suspect.

No charges have been laid but police hope their investigation will lead to charges.

Police say there are no other suspects at this time. They believe Campbell and the suspect knew each other.

Police say they can't get into too many details because investigation is still "fluid."

Halifax police were investigating three scenes Wednesday:

Under the Macdonald bridge where Campbell's body was found.

A home on McCully Street in Halifax.

A home on Chadwick Place in the Clayton Park suburb.

Halifax police are expected to provide an update on the case later Wednesday.

Police guarded the scene where a body was found Wednesday beneath on ramp from Barrington Street to Halifax's Macdonald Bridge. (Craig Paisley/CBC)

HRP said Campbell was last seen in Dartmouth on the morning of Sept. 10. She was a constable with the Truro Police Service and a volunteer firefighter for 10 years.

On Monday morning, Campbell was scheduled to report for work but didn't show up. Her sister said that wasn't in Campbell's nature.

Initially, police reported Campbell was last seen at her Windmill Road address in Dartmouth, N.S. However, police say further investigation revealed that she was at a bar in downtown Halifax in the early hours of Sept. 11.

Truro police Chief David MacNeil said he spoke to Campbell's parents.

"Telling them about Catherine's death was one of the most difficult things I've ever done as chief of police," he said in a statement.

'This breaks my heart'

Dwight Campbell, her father, and her sister Amy Garneau, told CBC News earlier Wednesday morning that Campbell had been found dead.

Catherine Campbell, a Truro, N.S., constable, has been found dead, and police are treating the case as a homicide. (Submitted by Halifax Regional Police)

"As I write this, it breaks my heart, we have found Catherine. My family would like to thank everyone who sent out prayers, hope and support during this time. My sister has gone home to be with the angels," Garneau wrote on the Facebook Group called Please Help us find Catherine Campbell.

Garneau said Campbell, originally from Stellarton, moved to Dartmouth in June and commuted daily to Truro.

The Truro Police Service said in a statement Wednesday that "no words can express how deeply this loss has impacted our service."

"Catherine was a phenomenal person and an outstanding police officer who proudly served our community since 2009. Her loss is felt by the entire community, and we thank you all for your support and kind words."

Halifax police say its members are also grieving.

"We express our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Catherine Campbell at this extremely difficult time. Her family respectfully requests that the media offer them privacy as they grieve Catherine's passing," HRP said in a news release.

"Our thoughts are also with the Truro Police Service on the loss of one of their own. We can attest that losing a member of the policing family is extremely hard to bear but would be even more difficult given the tragic circumstances of Catherine's death. The entire police community is mourning this loss."