SHIRLEY, Mass. — Human remains that were found in a pond in a Massachusetts town this week are those of a convicted drug dealer who had been living in another community more than an hour away, authorities said.
A group of teens walking near the Maritime Veterans Memorial Bridge on Shaker Road in Shirley reported seeing what appeared to be a leg in the water at Phoenix Pond, prompting law enforcement to swarm the neighborhood.
After Shirley police and fire officials confirmed the discovery of a human leg, a Massachusetts State Police dive team scoured the lake for additional evidence on Thursday morning.
During a late Thursday afternoon news conference, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Shirley Police Chief Samuel Santiago announced that the divers had recovered additional body parts that were identified through fingerprints as belonging to 69-year-old Peter Degan.
A preliminary investigation suggests Degan’s remains were possibly severed by a sharp instrument, and at this time, foul play is suspected, according to Ryan and Santiago.
“Those parts appeared to have been clean cut,” Ryan said. “We did not recover a full body. The search is continuing for additional body parts.”
Degan pled guilty to charges related to the trafficking and distribution of cocaine in a Suffolk County case in February 2019.
After release upon completion of his sentence, Ryan said he had been living in a pre-release center in Rockland, about 60 miles southeast of Shirley.
Ryan also noted that investigators have determined that Degan was seen in Rockland on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, and that they don’t believe this was a random attack.
Anyone who has information about Degan or who saw anything suspicious in recent days in the area where his remains were recovered is asked to contact the police.
Ryan’s office and the Massachusetts State Police are assisting Shirley police with the investigation.
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