SUSPICIOUS DEATH
Man’s body found in Lorelei Park
A neighbourhood park of swings, slides and wooden forts became the backdrop for a grim spectacle early Sunday as north-side residents awoke to the sound of gunfire and the discovery of a man’s body in the melting snow.
Police said they are treating the man’s death as suspicious but provided no other information as to what might have happened on the eastern edge of Lorelei Park at 103 Street and 162 Avenue.
Homicide detectives and forensic investigators spent much of Sunday working at the scene behind a wide swath of yellow police tape.
While some officers interviewed residents living beside the park, other investigators took measurements and placed evidence markers beside a handful of items on the ground.
Nearby, just a few metres from the sidewalk, the man’s body was shrouded by a black tent erected by police to protect evidence at the scene. Behind the tent was the children’s playground, unusually quiet and empty for a Sunday morning.
Neighbours in the area said they heard at least three gunshots at around 5:30 a.m., but didn’t know much else.
The playground where the man’s body was found is close to both Lorelei School and the Lorelei Beaumaris Community League hall. Neighbours said there was a party at the hall Saturday night, but didn’t know if it had any connection to what happened early Sunday in the park.
Some residents said that area around the park has been used as a spot for drug activity.
The man’s body was loaded onto a stretcher and put in a medical examiner’s van just after 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Police did not release victim’s name, age, or any other details.
An autopsy has been scheduled for noon Monday, police said. Should the death be declared a homicide, it would be Edmonton’s 11th of 2017.
Police said they would like to speak to anyone with information on the case.