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WARNING

Trevor James Greenway, 26, and Jason Trundle, 36, were shot dead on October 11th, 2011.

Greenway and Trundle were Edmonton's 41st and 42nd homicide victims of the year.

Case status is open and active.

It's not unusual to find a dead body in a cemetery. And it's not unusual to find two.

But when they're found together at 6:30 in the morning in a running late-model black GMC Denali SUV riddled with bullet holes ... well, even police were quick to say that was unusual.

The drama unfolded early October 11th, 2011, at the Rosehill Cemetery at 13951 Ellersie Road SW on Edmonton's southern edge.

The graveyard, operated by the Ukrainian Catholic Church, was as new as the subdivisions growing up around it.

With just a small number of plots claimed, visitors were few and far between ...

... and that's what caught the eye of a road crew working in the area.

"We're just off the road so we're a long ways away," a foreman said. "We seen a truck parked in there. It was just sitting in there parked, running. We didn't know what it was about."

"It was still dark and you could see lights up in there," a worker said.

"Just didn't seem normal and nobody's normally around here. It wasn't normal, right?" he said. "We haven't seen vehicles around here."

The worker said he didn't get close enough to the vehicle to notice what shape it was in. That was left for patrol officers who responded to the foreman's trouble-not-known call.

"I can advise at this time that there are two confirmed deceased individuals – which in and of itself is suspicious – so we are just beginning our investigation," Sgt. Darlene Savoie said.

One of the first homicide investigators at the scene, Det. Kevin Schindelier, agreed – confirming they too considered the deaths suspicious.

Also found in the SUV was an injured dog. It was later euthanised. At least its death wasn't considered suspicious.

Police and forensic investigators contained the scene throughout the day, with 141st Street blocked off to traffic.

Needless to say, those wanting to visit their dearly departed in the cemetery were disappointed. So too were area home builders – read more »

Luckily no funerals were scheduled at the decade-old multi-denominational graveyard.

Police told Father Greg Faryna, chancellor of Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton, that officers would be gathering evidence for at least a day or two.

Faryna said it was custom to always leave one gate open for visitors. Due to nearby construction work, both gates had recently remained open. There is normally not much traffic in the area, he added.

"The land is always open for people to pay their respects and I guess that means it is open to other uses as well," Faryna said.

Whether he meant such diverse uses as a lover's lane or a killing ground wasn't explored.

"We certainly do pass our prayers on for those that have lost their lives and for all those who have lost their lives this past year in Edmonton," Faryna said.

"It's a sad tragedy that, unfortunately, the city is undergoing such violence this year."

If the suspicious deaths were ruled homicide, the two men found in the SUV would be the city's 41st and 42nd murder victims of the year.

The subdivision to the south of the cemetery, part of what the City of Edmonton calls the Heritage Valley Area, was a hotbed of development for commercial projects going by such idyllic names as the Estates of Chappelle Gardens and Creekwood Chappelle.

The area was an active construction site consisting of a few finished and partially-built homes, and several showhomes.

One developer, whose staff was planning a meeting, was turned away by officers.

"We have some new showhomes open, so they're bringing the whole sales staff to come and look at them," a man named Shawn said. "We've been told that nobody is allowed in there."

At least those trying to get into the area got to see one of the new Dodge Chargers police were evaluating as replacements for the no-longer-manufactured Ford Crown Victoria Interceptors.

With the remoteness of the crime scene, eyewitnesses were scarce – a challenge for both police and media – read more »

Images from the Canadian Traffic Network helicopter showed a large number of evidence markers surrounding the SUV, likely indicating shell casings.

Judging by the evidence-marker pattern and the damage to the SUV, it appeared the area had been sprayed with a high-powered automatic weapon.

"We are so early in the investigation. We have to get to the bodies. We don't just go rushing in," Staff Sgt. Dave Spiers said later, noting the medical examiner was now on scene.

"The autopsy is going to tell us a lot. Once we have more information, we will be able to make the determination what or how this event transpired."

On a warm fall day, and almost out of the range of media cameras, forensics officers processed the scene – see images »

After the bodies had been studied in situ, staff from the medical examiner's office took them away for further examination.

At a news conference later in the day, police said they still had a lot to learn about the shooting.

"We have two deceased persons in this vehicle. Our investigation, as we move, along will tell us who these people are, where they came from, what they were potentially doing," homicide section Staff Sgt. Dave Spiers said.

"We have to get the scene, the body and the history, and that tells us our story."

With the bodies arriving so late in the day from the scene, investigators would have to wait for two days before the autopsies would be completed.

A police spokesman also put out a plea for public tips.

"If somebody has information, if they saw or heard anything unusual at that location, they need to call us," she said.

Police worked the site late into the evening ...

... and returned the next day to complete their examination of the scene.

On October 14th, 2011, police announced that the death of the two men discovered at the Rosehill Cemetery were homicides, with the victims each having died as a result of gunshot wounds.

Greenway

The men were identified as 26-year-old Trevor James Greenway and 36-year-old Jason Trundle, both of Lloydminister.

Homicide detectives said the incident was not a random act.

Police made no further comment on the case, not identifying what sort of weapon was used, or if drugs or gangs were involved.

Those with information about events surrounding the deaths at Rosehill Cemetery were asked to contact Edmonton police at 780-423-4567, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.tipsubmit.com. Tips can also be text messaged.

The deaths of Greenway and Trundle brought Edmonton's 2011 murder toll to 42, breaking – this time without qualification – the city's previous murder record of 39 set in 2005.

Police chief Rod Knecht earlier had an issue with the death of 35-year-old Daniel Charles Hamer six days before as being the record-breaker. At a news conference held on October 10th, Knecht said his numbers added up differently – read more »

Speaking to the Edmonton Sun, Ken Trundle said his son Jason suffered a recent workplace injury and had driven to Edmonton in his girlfriend's GMC Denali to begin physiotherapy.

Ken said he wasn't sure what happened when his son got to town or how he met up with Greenway.

More about Jason Trundle can be read here.

The story of Trevor Greenway could be found in court records which revealed he had spent most of his adult life in jail.

In 2004, a drunk 19-year-old Greenway crashed a stolen truck into an oncoming car driven a 55-year-old man near Drayton Valley. The man died and Greenway was sentenced to three years in prison.

In 2009, Greenway was again jailed – this time for assault and cocaine trafficking.

Upon his statutory release in late 2010, the National Parole Board ordered Greenway to abstain from drugs and have no contact with people known to be part of the "drug/criminal subculture."

More about Trevor Greenway can be read here.

All the information presented on this page has been compiled primarily from published media reports and should not be interpreted as having legal bearing or other prejudice against the individuals named on this web site.
The Last Link on the Left practices fair presentation and the disclosure of relevant interests.
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deadmonton 2011 - the rosehill double murder