At about 4:30 a.m. PT, officers from the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment were called to the scene of a church parking lot at Lougheed Highway and 216th. IHIT was subsequently called in to lead the investigation.
In the parking lot of the Haney Presbyterian Church a dark blue, small-sized vehicle was seen with an unidentified deceased person in the driver’s seat; investigators later covered the driver’s side of the vehicle with a tarp.
Police blocked off two blocks of 216th, including the area surrounding a house that may be part of the investigation. The CBC reports a number of people who were in the house were brought in for questioning.
In the early afternoon, the IHIT twitter site posted the following news related to the death; IHIT now confirms on scene of a death in Maple Ridge. Investigation is in the very early stages. No updates until tomorrow.
The following day, Sunday, RCMP released the age of the victim, 33, and said he was not known to them and added that they do not believe his death is connected to any other crimes. However, as of late Sunday afternoon they had not released his name.
The Integrated Homicide Investigative Team was established in 2003 and investigates homicides and high-risk missing person cases in “areas policed by the RCMP, Abbotsford, Port Moody and New Westminster police departments.”
