The death of a 19-year-old Edmonton man at a Leduc County house party last month has been ruled a homicide.
On Thursday, June 18, RCMP were called at 2:05 a.m. to a home in Leduc County where officers found an injured man. He was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS.
“It’s a very tragic circumstance,” RCMP Cpl. Laurel Scott said. “This was a house party that got out of control.”
On Wednesday, the RCMP identified the victim as Jacob Michael Chitze of Edmonton.
“What we know is that this 19-year-old — Jacob — was attacked by a group of people.”
Scott said information about the house party went out on social media and over 100 people — many from Edmonton — showed up at the property south of the city.
“There were groups who didn’t know each other and that often causes friction,” she said.
The RCMP Major Crimes Unit is now searching for the people responsible for Chitze’s death. Scott said Chitze wasn’t known to the people who are believed to have attacked him.
“There’s no relation,” she said. “It’s a terrible incident and we’re trying to figure out and solve who did it.”
RCMP believe people took video leading up to Jacob’s death, and investigators are hoping those people will come forward to share their videos.
“It will help our major crimes unit to piece together pieces of the investigation. It’s important to us, because it helps us build a very clear picture of exactly what happened.”
Scott said the party was at an occupied home on Range Road 260, but would not give a more specific location.
The cause of his death was not released by police, but Scott said the medical examiner determined it was a homicide.
Anyone who was at the party or has information about Chitze’s death is asked to call the Leduc RCMP at 780-980-7267. Anonymous information can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.