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In the week before Christmas 2007 RCMP detachments south of Edmonton found themselves dealing with a trio of hypothermia victims within a three-day span.

Lorne Allan McKenzie | Shane Michael Applegarth | Matthew Goodrunning

The series of events began December 20th when two men found a dead body southeast of Highway 13 and Range Road 53 – just east of Buck Lake – about 140 km southwest of Edmonton.

Breton RCMP reported two men had been in the area quadding when they found the body of a naked male. The body was in a frozen state and was taken to the Edmonton Medical Examiner's office for examination.

The man was later identified as 39-year-old Lorne Allan McKenzie of Buck Lake, Alberta.

Police were waiting for an autopsy to determine the man's cause of death. There was no official indication of how long the body had been at the location.

Winfield resident Jesse Torkelson and a buddy were tracking cougars when they made their discovery of McKenzie's body.

In recounting his story to the Edmonton Sun, Torkelson said the body appeared to have been in the field for “quite a while” and showed signs of being disturbed by area wildlife.

“We were out in the middle of nowhere pretty much,” Torkelson told the Sun.

“We seen a couple of crows or ravens fly up, and the curious people we are, we went to see what they were after and there’s a human body lying there.”

Torkelson said the body was covered in snow and “frozen stiff. It was a little disturbing ... There were no tracks in the snow and nothing around.”

The last time the coroner's office dealt with a frozen body, that of Nawar Jawad on December 2nd, it took four days to thaw.

McKenzie's autopsy was conducted December 27th and RCMP were waiting for various test results before determining the direction of their investigation.

Breton RCMP Cpl. Darryl Scott said hypothermia as the cause of was "absolutely" a consideration.

When hypothermia sets in, core body temperature drops and people often become confused to the point of discarding clothing because they think they are too warm.

On January 4th, 2008 Breton RCMP released a photograph of Lorne McKenzie along with additional details of events prior to his death.

Investigators learned that McKenzie was last seen on the night of November 15th, 2007 leaving the Lakeshore Inn in Buck Lake, Alberta, 140 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.

He was seen leaving the Inn with another man, and both men went off on separate quad all-terrain vehicles. Police have spoken to the other man and don't consider him a suspect.

However the quad that McKenzie was riding is still missing.

RCMP described the quad as a blue 2003 Yamaha 660 Grizzly, with Alberta license plate YT177.

Those with information relating to sightings of Lorne McKenzie or the missing Yamaha quad, and anyone with information regarding the death of McKenzie, were asked to contact Breton RCMP at 780-696-3520 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

A larger image of McKenzie can be seen here.

RCMP are still for waiting the results of forensic testing associated with the post mortem examination to determine McKenzie's exact cause of death.

The Edmonton Sun spoke to the manager of the Lakeshore Inn, Pauline Graham. She said her staff told her McKenzie came in, had two drinks and then left.

“He wasn't a regular at all. He just moved into the area shortly before this happened,” Graham said.

On December 21st, 2007 a Canadian Pacific Rail employee conducting routine track inspection near Hobbema came upon an semi-conscious native male laying in the ditch between the rail line and Highway 2A.

The unidentified man slipped into unconsciousness prior to the arrival of emergency services. EMS personnel determined the male's core body temperature was extremely low and there were no other apparent signs of trauma. He was transported to Wetaskiwin Hospital but succumbed to his condition.

Initially RCMP did not know the identity of the native male who appeared to have been in his mid-twenties. He was described as 5-feet 10- or 11-inches tall, 180 lbs with short dark hair. There were no readily identifiable marks, scars or tattoos.

Police later identified the man as 22-year-old Shane Michael Applegarth of Hobbema, Alberta. An RCMP investigation into Applegarth's last movements continued.

The Edmonton Sun reported that Applegarth had been grieving the loss of his younger brother.

Thane Applegarth was killed in a car crash in 2006 and Shane was said to have been suffering from insomnia, depression and alcoholism.

"It was hard for Shane because he was too scared to sleep," his mother Judy told the Sun. "He was always thinking of his little brother – and said his brother came to him in his dreams and was trying to take him with him."

From what Judy has heard, Shane had been drinking with friends the night he disappeared. He had gotten into an argument and walked off alone along the CP tracks wearing only a hoodie. An autopsy confirmed that Applegarth died of hypothermia.

In addition to his mother, the 22-year-old left behind his father, a three-year-old son, two brothers and three sisters. A traditional Cree as well as a Roman Catholic funeral service were set for December 29th, 2007.

On December 22nd, 2007 Rocky Mountain House RCMP found the body of an 18-year-old man who had been missing for five days.

Police believe Matthew Goodrunning, of the Sunchild Indian Reserve, also died of hypothermia. An autopsy to officially determine cause of death had yet to be conducted.

Goodrunning went missing after leaving a home near the Sunchild Reserve, located 50 kilometres northwest of Rocky Mountain House. His body was found with assistance from police dog services from Red Deer not far from the residence.

Police believe Goodrunning became disoriented and hypothermic because he was not properly dressed for the area's low temperatures of -22 C with a strong windchill. Goodrunning's absence wasn't reported to police for several days.

The man's cousin, Shane Goodrunning, told the Sun it was believed that alcohol may have played a factor in Matthew's death.

deadmonton 2007 - december crime report - frozen finds