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Joseph Parisien, 53, was shot to death April 19th, 2007.

Parisien was Edmonton's tenth homicide victim of the year.

Case status is open and active.

Officers and emergency medical personnel were called to a house at 11321 91 Street at about 3:00 p.m. April 19th, 2007.

Arriving on scene they found a man bleeding from his stomach. Initial reports indicated he may have been stabbed.

The man, first thought to be in his late 30s to early 40s, was rushed to hospital. He died just before 10:00 p.m. later in the day.

Homicide detectives, initially called in to assist, then took over the investigation. At the time a source revealed to media the drug and gang units had been advised and could be called in at a later date.

Police did not comment on whether a weapon was recovered and no suspects were immediately identified.

A spokesman said someone from inside the house had made the 911 call that brought authorities. Not said was how many people were in the house at the time but it was confirmed the victim lived there.

"The investigation right now is very, very preliminary. Next of kin still needs to be notified. Hopefully, after the autopsy, we'll have a few more ideas of what went on," the spokesman added.

As yellow crime scene tape was wound around the small run-down house in the Norwood neighbourhood, the Edmonton Sun sought quotes from area residents.

Most didn't want to be identified but all agreed the residence where the man died was a well-known crack house.

"That place is always crawling with activity, people parking down the street and coming in and out all night," said one woman.

Some neighbours refused to speak to media, citing fears of retribution from local troublemakers.

"There's a lot of drug trade around here now," an elderly woman told the Sun. "I'm worried some of these people could break into my home if they know who I am."

Police would not comment on whether they knew the house where the stabbing took place to be a drug den but said the victim was known to authorities.

When advised police were unaware the house was a drug den, one man told the Sun the fact was more than obvious.

"Everyone knows it is. This whole neighbourhood is going to shit," said the man who declined to give his name. "People are out at all hours smoking crack and running in and out of that house. It's been a problem for a while."

One neighbour said he witnessed a man in a white hoody fleeing the area shortly after the stabbing occurred.

"I saw just one guy, he was booking it pretty fast down the alley," the man said.

As has become usual practice in homicide cases prior to the arrest of a suspect, police are not revealing autopsy results – citing investigational needs to withhold the cause of death. However, officers speaking to media at the time of the man's death said he likely suffered a stab wound to the abdomen.

Police identified the dead man as 53-year-old Joseph Parisien and amended earlier statements made.

"We really want people in that neighbourhood to rest assured that this was not a random act of violence. We believe this involves two people who were known to each other," a police spokesman said.

“The residence was also known to police,” he added. Police also confirmed they had a person of interest they were looking for.

In later interviews, area residents became more forthcoming.

Next door neighbour Eva Chung said she heard loud banging at the time of the slaying.

“I heard some very loud noise,” she said. “My mother thought it was a hammer. It’s very scary. We try not to interfere too much over there.”

“It’s like the United Nations there. It’s always different people coming in and out,” she said.

Despite living in the neighbourhood for four years, Chung said she never had the chance to meet the people next door.

“We don’t know who lives there. I think it’s bad people. We don't associate with them," the woman said.

Chung said the sounds were different from the usual slammed doors and profanities. It sounded, she said, more like hammering. Or gunshots.

Looking outside, she saw a group of people running out the back door of the house as a second group ran out the front.

When police and paramedics arrived, Parisien seemed to be on his own.

Sitting at home watching the news, Re/Max realtor Grant Pankiw recognised the home where the slaying took place as a listing he recently sold.

Pankiw told the Edmonton Sun said the slaying has nothing to do with the homeowner, Phillip Kwan.

Kwan, 75, said he had no idea his Norwood bungalow had become what has been termed a drug den.

"I don't know," he told the Sun. "It doesn't matter what the people do. They don't deserve to lose their life like that."

Parisien lived in the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood home for several years, Kwan said.

His mother Mary first rented the house in 1998, but when she died Parisien and his sister took over the lease. Parisien's sister had recently moved out.

Kwan described Parisien as a good tenant who didn't cause any damage and always kept the sidewalks clear of snow.

"They were very nice people," Kwan added.

Parisien was scheduled to move out at the end of April due to the sale of the house.

Autopsy results released April 23rd, 2007 revealed Parisien died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Police were compelled to cite that earlier media reports, that the man was stabbed, were incorrect.

Authorities appealed to the public to help solve Parisien's murder. Those with information are asked to contact Edmonton police at 423-4567, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.tipsubmit.com - a secure tip submission web site.

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