Nearly one year after an Alberta man’s sudden disappearance, Calgary police have revealed that his death is believed to be a homicide in which several people were likely involved.
Fletcher Kimmel, 30, was last seen at the 7-Eleven in the 3500 block of 39 Avenue N.E. in Calgary on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016. His body was then found in a wooded area near the Jumping Pound Demonstration Forest on Jan. 29, 2017.
On Tuesday, Calgary detectives released new information on Kimmel’s death, asking for the public to help identify a man who used Kimmel’s bank card on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016.
“It’s a person we certainly want to talk to at this particular point,” acting Insp. Paul Wozney said at a Tuesday news conference. “When we have a person that’s gone missing and someone has tried to use that person’s bank card a week-and-a-half or two weeks later – that in itself is suspicious.”
“We want to talk to that person to get an understanding of exactly their involvement in coming across that bank card.”
Wozney couldn’t say how many times the bank card was used after Kimmel’s disappearance, as it was part of their ongoing investigation.
WATCH: Police want to talk to a man who attempted to use Kimmel’s bank card.
Police have also released a photo of the black Toyota Rav4 Kimmel was seen getting into at the 7-Eleven on Sept. 27, 2016.
“Detectives have exhausted all investigative leads and are confident Kimmel’s last known footprints of life were at the 7-Eleven as he entered the RAV4,” Wozney said.
Police are still working to determine the motive behind Kimmel’s disappearance and death.
WATCH: Calgary police update investigation the death of Fletcher Kimmel.
Kimmel’s mother asks public to help: ‘We deserve to know what happened’
Kimmel’s mother, Sandra, is pleading for the public to come forward with information on her son’s death.
“I am now living every parent’s nightmare; I have outlived my child,” she said. “There isn’t a day that I don’t think about him and wonder where things went wrong.”
WATCH: Mother of Fletcher Kimmel pleads for information on her son’s death.
“I’ll never forget our last words. He was helping a friend move – we were on our way to Kelowna – and I told him to ‘take care’ and he said ‘will do.’”
Sandra said she was looking forward to celebrating her son’s upcoming birthday with him when he disappeared, and that they had family coming into town from Kansas to visit with him.
“We deserve to know what happened.
“I’ll never talk to him again – and we spoke every other day,” she said.
“For months I expected to get a text from him … now I know it’s not going to happen. I even called him, sent him texts, told him what we were doing, and that I was waiting to hear from him – and that I loved him.”
Sandra described Fletcher as a “gentle giant” who was “very kind” and “thoughtful.”
WATCH: Fletcher Kimmel’s mother says she has no idea why someone would hurt her son, calling him a “gentle giant.”
She said she remembers his “firsts” – like his first goal in hockey – but also his “lasts.”
“The last movie we watched together, the last time we saw him and the last time we talked to him what we said… Those are the ones that stick with you the most.”
Sandra said it’s knowing she still has a husband and daughter at her side that motivates her to keep going.
“It’s been really difficult moving on. I’m not sure if I ever truly will.”
WATCH: ‘It finishes his story’: Fletcher Kimmel’s mother on knowing what happened to her son.
Sandra said Fletcher was well liked, and that over 500 people attended his funeral.
Anyone with information regarding Kimmel’s disappearance and death – or the man seen using his bank card – is asked to call Calgary police at 403-266-1234 or to contact Crime Stoppers.
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