Editor’s note: The death was previously thought to have been the city’s first recorded homicide of 2023, but police later said he died on Dec. 27, 2022.
An Edmonton senior was dead for five days inside his central Edmonton home before being discovered, police said, and homicide detectives are looking for the public’s help solving the crime.
Ronald Bell, 70, was found dead at a bungalow on 106 Street, just north of 107 Avenue, in the Central McDougall neighbourhood on Jan. 1.
Police were called to reports of a sudden death at the home around 1 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
“An extinguished but unreported fire was found inside the residence, along with an active water leak,” EPS Homicide Section Det. Jared Buhler said Thursday afternoon during a news conference outside the home in the inner city.
He said homicide investigators were contacted because of the nature of Bell’s apparent injuries and the crime scene.
“Based on our scene examination and the autopsy, I think it’s safe to say that there was a very violent event that occurred.
“There was a struggle. Some sort of violent altercation.”
An autopsy on Wednesday determined the manner of death was a homicide but for investigative reasons, the cause of death is being withheld at this time.
Investigators now need help identifying other tenants and visitors to the home, where his truck vanished from the day he died.
The victim’s black 2011 GMC Sierra truck was last seen on video leaving the alley between 106 Street and 107 Street and driving west on 107 Avenue around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022.
Bell last communicated with friends during the noon hour that day, Buhler said.
“We suspect that Mr. Bell had already been murdered inside his residence at the time that this vehicle was observed westbound on 107 Avenue.”
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It’s believed he was killed sometime between 12:30 p.m. and when the truck was spotted four hours later.
Given that it was five days before the death was discovered, during an update Thursday afternoon police said the truck could be anywhere.
Just hours after that news conference in Edmonton, the truck was found in southern Alberta.
An update Thursday night from EPS said the GMC pickup was found unoccupied around 4:20 p.m. in southeast Calgary, bearing a stolen licence plate out of Spruce Grove.
EPS homicide investigators are still seeking information about the truck and its whereabouts since it was driven away from Bell’s home nine days ago.
Police said Bell was the primary occupant of the house and rented space to other tenants. Other people also visited over the holidays, either to see him or the other residents.
Investigators are hoping to speak with anyone who lived at or visited Bell’s house (10714 106 St.) on that Tuesday or in the days before and after.
“While our investigation has accounted for the whereabouts of some of the individuals associated to the residence during this time, others have yet to be located,” Buhler said.
“We are asking the people who were living or visiting Mr. Bell’s home at this time and with whom we have not already spoken, to please come forward to police immediately.”
“What these people know and potentially saw leading up to Mr. Bell’s death is critical to our investigation and we also want to confirm their welfare.”
Additionally, detectives are looking to speak with any area residents or people who were at the home and noticed activity at the front or rear of the home between last Tuesday and Sunday.
The house is right beside a Husky gas station on 107 Avenue, which police said sees heavy traffic.
“People may have been coming to fuel up, to purchase food at the convenience store and may have walked past this address or driven past this address during that timeframe.”
Anything observed at the home over those five days is important to the investigation, Buhler said.
“We’re interested in any activity at the front or at back during that time — specifically, individuals who may have been moving property from the house.”
Buhler said the state of the interior of the house suggested items may have been moved out in the days following the death.
“We have a pretty good sense of what happened in the alley so we’re more concerned about what happened here on the street.”
Edmonton police at the scene of a suspicious death near 107 Avenue and 106 Street in downtown Edmonton, Jan. 1, 2023.
Anyone with any information is asked to please call the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a cell phone.
Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.
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