Body in wall ruled an accidental death

Mystery why man in women’s washroom

CALGARY • Police say the death of a man whose body was found inside the wall of a Calgary shopping mall washroom on Monday was an accident.

Investigators determined the man, who was in his 20s, entered the fourth-floor women’s washroom at The CORE Shopping Centre, in downtown Calgary, alone last Friday evening. Once inside the washroom, he climbed on top of a pony wall (a partial wall) directly behind the toilets and removed a vent cover located on top of the wall.

Based on evidence at the scene, police believe the man then climbed inside the pony wall through the vent, becoming stuck and later dying in the wall.

Investigators said his motivation for crawling inside the wall was unknown.

The man’s identity was not released by police, who notified his family on Wednesday following the completion of an autopsy.

Investigators have ruled out foul play in the man’s death.

The pony wall, which the man climbed inside, is used to hide utilities, according to police. It is more than two metres tall and is not connected to the ceiling, nor does it have any other access points.

Police said no further information could be released due to the man’s death being considered accidental.

The body was discovered Monday morning after a worker was called to fix a toilet that wouldn’t flush in the washroom, in the mall’s food court.

When the worker removed a panel attached to a wall behind the toilet, he discovered the body, according to police.

A spokesperson for the shopping centre confirmed the worker was a CORE employee. The mall has offered him counselling services and time off “to deal with whatever he may be going through,” the spokesperson said.

The worker was called to fix the toilet at approximately 9:30 a.m. Monday. The women’s washroom remained closed until after 3 p.m., when the body, contained in a black body bag, was wheeled out on a gurney.

Until about two hours earlier, the corner of the food court where the washrooms are located remained open to the public, as did the surrounding restaurants. The men’s washroom also remained open as mall security guarded the taped-off entrance to the women’s washroom.

Officers could be seen ducking in and out of the women’s washroom, along with officials from the medical examiner’s office. Several firefighters were there to help remove the body.

That section of the food court was cordoned off entirely around 1 p.m. and the public was asked to move back until the body was removed.