The body of a woman was found last night on a trail in the McIntyre subdivision.

Whitehorse RCMP have deemed the death suspicious, and are investigating it as a homicide.

The victim, a young First Nations woman estimated to be between ages 16 and 20, has not yet been identified.

“The identity of the deceased has not been confirmed at this time, and efforts to determine both the identity and the circumstances of the death are ongoing,” police said in a statement late this morning.

Yukon chief coroner Kirsten Macdonald said early this afternoon she has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death. She would not comment further.

The woman’s body was discovered at about 10:15 p.m. Monday by a person walking along a trail between two rows of houses in McIntyre, Const. Dean Hoogland said.

RCMP, forensic identification services and the police dog service attended the scene, and the investigation continued through the night.

Hoogland said the investigation is now in the hands of the RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit.

According to police, there isn’t any indication of imminent risk to the public, but they and the Kwanlin Dun First Nation urge people to be conscious of their personal safety.

Investigators ask anyone with information about this incident, or anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the area of Hanna Crescent and Murphy Road, to contact the Whitehorse RCMP as soon as possible at 667-5555.

This is the third homicide in the Yukon this year.