Homicide investigators have taken over the case of a missing woman from Spuzzum, B.C., after a man is believed to have taken his own life inside a vehicle registered to the woman.
RCMP say April Parisian, 45, was last seen by a family member around April 7 or 8 in the 38000-block of Spuzzum, a settlement roughly 50 kilometres north of Hope.
On Thursday evening, police say a truck and camper registered to Parisian was found near the Abbotsford-Chilliwack border on Vye Road.
Chilliwack RCMP officers attended the scene and attempted to speak with a man inside the camper, but found him with “what is believed to be a self-inflicted wound” after a short dialogue.
Despite efforts by officers and paramedics, the man died of his injuries, police said.
B.C.’s police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), is now looking into the man’s sudden death to determine if the RCMP officers’ actions or inaction played a role.
Abbotsford Police are investigating the sudden death along with the BC Coroners Service.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says it has now taken over the investigation into Parisian’s disappearance “given the recent events.”
Parisian is described by police as five-feet-seven-inches tall, 133 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
Anyone who has information about Parisian’s whereabouts or her disappearance is asked to contact IHIT or Crime Stoppers.
Editor’s note: Abbotsford police have clarified that although they are leading the investigation into the man’s death, it’s Chilliwack RCMP who attended the scene and are now under IIO investigation. The article has been updated to reflect this information.