On April 14th, 2009 Strathcona County RCMP investigated the discovery of a woman's body on a multi-use path – read more »
The body was discovered at about 6:30 a.m. by a woman walking along a path near Main Boulevard and Millers Road in Sherwood Park, alongside the Mills Haven School grounds.
Strathcona County Emergency Services responded and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Strathcona County RCMP, RCMP Major Crimes and the RCMP Forensic identification Unit attended the location which was quickly sealed off with yellow crime scene tape.
A tent was erected to protect the area against a brisk late-spring snowfall.
While the nearby school remained open, staff implemented a "snow day" policy that kept students indoors for recess.
“The death is being treated as suspicious until information from the medical examiner's office determines the exact cause of death,” Const. Wally Henry said.
"The reason that this is suspicious is because it is abnormal to have a female lying deceased on a multi-use trail. To treat this any otherwise right now wouldn't be right so we're following all the investigational steps until we receive a cause of death from the medical examiner. At that point, that will determine where the investigation goes."
By early afternoon the woman's body was transported to the Medical Examiner's office in Edmonton.
Andrew Zukoswki, the man who lives in a home adjacent to the footpath with his two children, told media about the discovery of the body – read more »
"Somebody came banging on the door at about 6:30 this morning. A neighbour – a lady that walks a dog – she was screaming, just out of it," Zukoswki said.
"My ex went out and took a pulse of the deceased."
Zukoswki said his ex-wife told him the woman was in her late teens or early 20s, was not wearing shoes and that there were no obvious signs of trauma on the body.
"I thought bedroom communities were supposed to be safer than normal," Zukowski reflected. "No one's immune. It can happen anywhere."
Zukoswki's dog didn't react to any noise early this morning, and the man said he had no idea how long the body may have been there.
His daughter Adrina had spent the night at her boyfriend's place and was startled to see the heavy police presence in front of her home.
"Please tell me it's not in my yard," she said.
On April 15th Strathcona County RCMP announced that they had identified the victim and had ruled the death as non-criminal.
The 51-year-old found dead was a Strathcona County resident. The woman's name was withheld at the request of the family and would not be released.
An autopsy failed to reveal an exact cause of death and further testing, including toxicology, was to be conducted by the medical examiner. Police advised the tests could take upwards of two to three months to complete.
