THUNDER BAY - Investigators are reaching out to the public for assistance in identifying three persons of interest and a vehicle as part of a police investigation into a homicide on Hodder Avenue.
Det. Insp. Jeremy Pearson with the investigative service branch of the Thunder Bay Police Service held a media conference on Monday where he provided information on three suspects recorded on video surveillance who appear to be fleeing the area in the 400 block of Hodder Avenue, as well as an SUV with no licence plates.
“I realize the quality of the video is possibly problematic, but any information members of the public have, no matter how small it may seem to them and anything that we can do to spark their memory can advance the investigation,” Pearson said.
Officers with the Thunder Bay Police Service were first called to the 400 block of Hodder Avenue on Monday, May 2 at approximately 11:30 p.m. after receiving reports of a possible break and enter in progress.
Upon arriving at the scene, a 29-year-old male was found injured and pronounced dead at the scene. The identity of the victim is not being released at this time out of respect of the wishes of the family.
Following a post-mortem examination, police determined the death was a homicide and an investigation was launched.
Pearson said the public has already been of assistance in providing information to aid in the investigation and he is hoping the release of the surveillance footage images will lead to more tips.
“The combination of three individuals matching those rough physical descriptions and with those clothing descriptors would be of interest to us and they were seen actively running from the area,” he said.
The first person of interest is described as a male wearing a dark jacket, dark pants with white stripe and appears to be carrying a black bag. The second person of interest believed to be a male with a slim build and wearing dark clothing. The third person of interest is also believed to be a male with a slim build, wearing dark clothing, and a white hat or hoodie.
The vehicle is described as a black-coloured Ford SUV with no license plates.
Pearson said it is still too early in the investigation to determine if the homicide was related to gang or drug activity in the city. He did say earlier that it is not believed to be a random act and that the victim and those responsible had some kind of relationship or interaction before the incident.
He added that a vehicle with no license plates is notable.
“I don’t want to get too focused and apply too much interpretation at this point,” he said. “We are trying to gather as much information as possible and let that lead us to the truth. But it is notable for a vehicle to be absent of license plates.”
According to Pearson, during the initial call on Monday night, police were aware that there were multiple people involved.
“This video footage has led us to believe there are three individuals we are actively trying to identify,” he said. “We are of course open to the possibility that there may be others involved not captured in this footage.”
Anyone with any information that could assist investigators is encouraged to contact the Thunder Bay Police Service at 684-1200 or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.p3tips.com.
