THUNDER BAY – NEWS – Thunder Bay Police Service Det.-Insp. Jeremy Pearson has provided an update on the ongoing investigation into the ninth homicide in Thunder Bay.
Thunder Bay Police Service officers with the Primary Response Unit were initially dispatched to the 800-block area of McMillan Street following a weapons call just after 2:20 p.m. on Friday, July 29.
Police learned the initial incident occurred at a residential address in this area. When police arrived, they located a deceased adult male.
Members of the Major Crimes and Forensic Identification Units are now involved in the continued investigation.
As a result of their ongoing investigation, police are now treating the death as a homicide.
Det.-Insp. Jeremy Pearson states, “In terms of new developments of this time we’re prepared to confirm there was a firearm involved in this incident. I can also advise the post-mortem examination has been completed and we have since released the scene of the incident.
“In terms of discussing the exact nature of the injuries or the exact cause of death that of course is going to be part of the ongoing investigation eventually the court case, I confirm the firearm was used in the incident that’s as much as I can really detail.
Asked about drug related information on this homicide, Det.-Insp. Jeremy Pearson says “At this point the investigations ongoing and will open at all possible explanations and all information that a part of our purpose in speaking with you here today is to ask for the public’s assistance as we always do. It’s our firm belief that there are individuals in this community with knowledge related to this incident and we would ask they speak to to our investigators. In addition there may be individuals in the in the area who have witnessed something that may not seem significant or important and we asked them when have seen something that seemed out of place regardless of how small it may be important to our investigators into the investigation so anyone who saw something who has residential surveillance video and is not yet been spoken to to buy police although we have canvassed the area extensively were looking at anything out of the ordinary in the morning to early afternoon hours on the 29th there are persons of interest with whom we wish to speak to.
“There are certain witnesses that we we still seek to to take formal statements from at this point I will call it on on the nature of everyone’s a suspect but there are persons of interest in the investigation does continue unfold together record at this point in time are investigators continue to communicate with the family of the of the deceased and so we were not coming through on the identity specifically until such time as we’ve had that conversation with the family.”
Social Media and Murder Investigations
Asked to comment on some of the social media, Pearson states, “Rumors can become in fact quite quite complex in an investigation when when a ruler that may at the end of the day proved to be non factual circulation takes a long life of its own there’s a tremendous amount of work that goes into exploring that narrative and ensuring that it is either valid or invalid as the case may be.
“So online speculation because of the audience it reaches and because of the impact it generates is is not helpful.
“We appreciate the help of the public, absolutely, we appreciate those people that come forward to us with information it’s invaluable we cannot do our job without the without the community.”
“It has become problematic when it turns to the element of rumor that is not brought to us as information is rarely become speculation and takes on a life of its own. Police still have to follow up on all the information that is a rumor.
“Speculation or any information that comes to light we need to explore we must explore any information that is brought to us in the context of being relevant to this investigation so when rumors or conjecture are repeated as fact we absolutely have to have to explore ans prove oe disprove that that has taken place to the extent that were able to with following the evidence”.
“There is a tremendous amount of chatter of course, and an incident like this obviously captures the community sensibilities. There is chatter, there are theories being reported that we have to track down and determine the truth or or the validity of those of those thoughts, and rumors.
“At this point the investigation is ongoing so at this point unfortunately just as I said before their resource is occupied with exploring the information and rumors that are out there so all of that is subject to ongoing investigation therefore not problematic.”
“I won’t go into detail on either the residence or or the victim self just in light of the ongoing investigation and all of the people that we we still hope to speak to an all of the background information.”
I’ll conclude as I always do with just expressing my appreciation for the hard work that’s gone into this investigation from the initial response by our primary response unit to the work being done by our investigators by the members of the phone booster who’ve been called in to assist with canvas and of course to our forensic identification unit in conjunction with Major Crimes unit the work that is done out of this building and in this community is exceptional”
If you have any information that could assist investigators, please call police at 684-1200. You can submit tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.p3tips.com.
