deadmonton 2009 - november crime report

Officers remained on the scene for most of the morning in an alley behind 11926 126 Street after a call came in at about 2:30 a.m. reporting that a bloodied man lying face up had been discovered.

Circumstances at the scene indicated to first responders that homicide detectives needed to be called.

Police released few details regarding the man's age or possible identity, saying only the death was highly suspicious. At the time, signs seemed to point to foul play.

"We got a white male ... we don't have identification on him at this time. We don't know who he is at this time ... just found in the alley by a passerby at about 2:30 in the morning," veteran homicide detective Det. Bill Clark told media at the scene.

"Right now we're treating it as a suspicious death. We don't know if there was a struggle or what's going on here at all," Clark said – read more »

The man was wearing jeans and a grey sleeveless T-shirt. His coat was lying nearby. Witnesses said the man's face was bloodied, and that his left arm was laying across his chest.

"He was totally straight and his jacket was a metre away. It didn't look like he had fallen," Sophie Beaudoin told the Edmonton Journal.

"It looked like he had been placed."

Officers conducted interviews of area residents in an effort to find out what may have happened to the man, but apparently no one heard or saw anything.

Officers were seen checking a yard immediately east of where the body lay. Several evidence markers trailed away from the body northward in the alley.

Forensic staff later peered under the body and found some identification. It became apparent the man had blood on his knuckles, his nose, around his eyes and coming out of his ear.

It was later learned the man had been found by two men returning home from a late poker party. They said they didn't recognise the man as being from the neighbourhood.

"Talked to all the people on both sides of the street and a few block area around here and no one's seen or heard anything," Det. Clark said.

"Obviously if someone hasn't returned home last night we'd like to hear from those people."

One area resident told the Last Link she had heard a loud bang at about 1:20 a.m. that also woke up her two small children.

Another neighbour said he wouldn't be surprised if the victim was a homeless known to frequent the area, collecting bottles.

The resident said he just spoken to the man the day before. Sporting a large bruise on the left side of his face, the man told the neighbour his girlfriend had just given him "a good licking."

A woman who has lived in the area for 54 years told the Edmonton Sun she was surprised she didn't hear anything unusual because her dog barks at everything.

"My dog fussed a bit but that's it," she said, adding she still considered the area a safe neighbourhood.

Homicide detectives last worked the area after 25-year-old Andrew Stephen Frang was stabbed to death on November 9th, 2008 after being stopped for a cigarette near the corner of 118th Avenue and 124th Street.

On February 16th, 2007 police were called to a house at 12107 127 Street. Inside they found 31-year-old Chancely Devlin Simpson dead in a basement suite. He too was stabbed.

The body remained uncovered in the alley all morning as investigators waited until they exhausted their examination of the scene before releasing custody of the victim to the medical examiner's office.

Asked why the body remained uncovered, Det. Clark replied sharply. "The guy is dead already. Covering it is not going to make any difference," he said.

The officer added there were no obvious signs of cause of death.

The body was finally removed at about 11:30.

An autopsy later determined the death was non-criminal in nature and Edmonton police closed their investigation.

Police were first called to the Tempo gas bar convenience store located at Wye Road and Range Road 214 by Strathcona County Emergency Services about about 6:00 p.m. on November 20th, 2009 after a 48-year-old woman suddenly died.

RCMP said a family member was performing CPR on the woman when they arrived at the store. Police said visible injuries were noticed on the woman before she died.

While an autopsy was conducted, investigators have held back the cause and manner of death – saying only they are treating the death as suspicious.

Strathcona County RCMP, along with members of Major Crimes Unit and Forensic Identification from Edmonton, continue to investigate.

Officers secured and later searched the victim's residence at 52449 Range Road 214 for clues to the woman's death – see images »

Police said the woman and her family were not known to them.

"There were signs of injury to the woman but to definitely say it was a homicide or just a sudden death at this point ... that's what we can't say," Cst. Wally Henry told media.

"At this point, it doesn't appear to be a domestic situation," Henry said. "We don't have enough definitive answers to absolutely rule that it's non-criminal, and on the other hand, to rule that it is criminal."

Strathcona County last dealt with a homicide on July 26th, 2009 after 18-year-old Blaine Arthur McNally was stabbed to death at a house party.