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Cameron James Petherbridge, 23, was found dead on March 2nd, 2011.

Petherbridge was the Edmonton metro area's second homicide victim of the year.

Andrew Pliska, 26, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted robbery, and two counts of unlawful confinement.

Samuel Wasylynchuk, 22, and Kyle Elliott, 23, were each charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery.

Morinville RCMP investigated the death of Cameron James Petherbridge who was found inside a home at 4617 45 Street in Gibbons, Alberta.

Mounties were first called to the town of 2,950, located 37 kilometres north-east of Edmonton, at about 2:00 p.m., March 2nd, after a 911 call came in about a disturbance.

Inside, officers came across a deceased male in his 20s.

RCMP initially released few details other than to say an autopsy was to be conducted in Edmonton the next morning. The man's name was not immediately released and police termed the death as suspicious.

The Edmonton Major Crime Unit was brought in to assist the Morinville Detachment and General Investigation Section.

Police took the unusual measure of keeping media from talking to neighbours along the street.

Investigators seemed to pay particular attention to a sedan parked on the driveway, extensively photographing and videotaping it.

Several men driving by said they knew the residents of the house and that foul play had taken place.

"We just heard there was a shooting," the passenger said.

"We didn't even know anything until we came out and pulled out of the driveway and saw all the cops and ambulances," the driver said, backtracking his buddy's statement somewhat.

The men said the home was occupied by several men and a woman – all in their 20s.

A heavy police presence remained at the house overnight and well into the next day when forensics staff arrived to process the scene – see images »

Later the next day, RCMP identified the victim as 23-year-old Cameron James Petherbridge, a resident of Gibbons.

His cause of death was withheld, with police only saying he died as the result of homicide.

Investigators said the occupants of the residence were known to them and that more information would be released when appropriate.

"I can tell you they were known to police and at this time they are believed also to be victims," RCMP spokesman Sgt. Tim Taniguchi said.

"It's a big puzzle and we have to put the pieces together."

The spokesman did not provide context for police interest in the occupants, including Cameron, how many were in the home at the time of Petherbridge's death, and if the 911 disturbance call was related to a firearms complaint.

Neighbours said the residence was a known drug house.

Friends told CBC Edmonton that Cameron had been stabbed during a home invasion and that two other people in the home at the time had been tied up – something police would not confirm.

"At this point I'm not going to confirm that because it's part of the investigation itself and to protect the integrity of the investigation we're not going to confirm those details," Sgt. Taniguchi said.

The Last Link has learned that "Kevin" and his girlfriend had indeed been found bound when emergency responders first arrived.

Tributes to Petherbridge poured out on his page on Facebook, the popular social networking site – read more »

Relatives described the Gibbons-born man as "a nice kid" – read more »

Cameron's funeral took place March 8th, 2011, in Edmonton.

No suspects were identified by police who also didn't indicate if the other persons in the home at the time of Petherbridge's death were cooperating.

Arrests announced

On November 28th, 2011, RCMP announced that three arrests had been made in the case of Cameron Petherbridge.

The apprehensions were made after a joint investigation by the RCMP Edmonton Major Crimes Unit and Morinville General Investigation Section.

Andrew Pliska, 26, was arrested with the assistance of the RCMP's Edmonton Emergency Response Team (ERT) in St. Albert.

He was charged with first-degree murder, attempted robbery, and two counts of unlawful confinement. Pliska remained in custofy awaiting an appearance at Provincial Court in Morinville on December 1st, 2011.

Gibbons resident Samuel Wasylynchuk, 22, was arrested in Grande Prairie and charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery.

Morinville resident Kyle Elliott, 23, was arrested in Edmonton and charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit robbery.

Both Wasylynchuk and Elliott were scheduled to appear in Morinville Provincial court on January 19th, 2012.

Police released no further details regarding the case.

Gibbons, nicknamed "The Town of the Future," was first settled by William Reynolds Gibbons after he headed west from Orillia, Ontario with his family in 1892.

Their trip on the first train from Calgary to Edmonton could only be finished after Gibbons and other passengers helped railway workers lay the last ties and rails to the platform.

The land Gibbons bought and built his first home on – now the site of the Stanley A. Milner Library – was needed by the growing town of Edmonton for its expansion plans.

Gibbons, already feeling crowded, moved out of Edmonton and built a house nearly forty miles away on the Sturgeon River. The homestead later became the first stop on the Athabasca Landing Trail (partially because of Mrs. Gibbons' fine cooking and hospitality).

Resulting development led the area to soon becoming a hamlet, then a village in 1959, and a town in 1977.

Petherbridge's death was thought to be the area's first homicide. It took a little over a hundred years for the urban ills Gibbons foresaw coming in Edmonton to finally make their way to the town named after him.

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deadmonton 2011 - cameron james petherbridge