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Police piecing together how homicide victim ended up in car's trunk

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 01/25/2013 8:32 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 01/25/2013 1:52 PM | Updates

Police stand near car Thursday on Pear Tree Bay in St. Vital.

The first homicide of 2013 is proving to be a convoluted case for Winnipeg police.

A woman's body was found by police in the trunk of a Honda Civic in a quiet bay in St. Vital Thursday afternoon. But officers had begun the day hours earlier in south Osborne, unaware of the grisly situation across town.

Police said the investigation began at 4:25 a.m. Thursday, when officers when to a home in the 500-block of Kylemore Avenue for the report of a possibly injured person.

But officers found no one at the home. They knocked loudly on the front door – so loudly that they woke neighbours – and managed to get inside the home but it was empty.

WPS spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said the trail eventually led to Pear Tree Bay in St. Vital, where the body of an adult woman was found in a late '90s model Honda Civic.

A cause of death has not been determined. An autopsy is pending.

Michalyshen said the woman did not live at either location and would not state what her connection might be to the Kylemore residence or how or why she ended up on Pear Tree Bay.

Michalyshen said homicide investigators are conducting interviews today, of witnesses and possible suspects.

"Right now our goal is trying to piece together what really took place," Michalyshen said, adding he hoped an update will be released in a couple of days. "Where those interviews will take us has yet to be determined."

Michalyshen said the woman’s identity has been confirmed but her name will not be released until after family members have been notified.

"This investigation evolved throughout the day (Thursday)," Michalyshen said. "Officers had to piece certain things together as quickly as possible and make every effort to try and determine what we were dealing with here."

The Kylemore home is owned by two brothers, one of whom lives there. Neighbours said the brother had a male roommate also living there.

Residents of Pear Tree Bay said this morning a body was found in the trunk of the vehicle, and investigators spent much of the day at a home there.

One resident, who didn't want her name used, said officers spent hours analyzing the trunk of a vehicle parked on the bay.

Police didn't leave the home until just before 9 p.m. Thursday night, she said.

Anyone with information regarding this matter is asked to contact investigators at 204 986-6508 or Winnipeg Crime Stoppers at 204 786-TIPS (8477).

While the RCMP are dealing with eight homicides across the province this month, this is the first for the WPS.

Last year, the first homicide in Winnipeg took place Jan. 23 and there were two homicides by Jan. 15 in 2011. In 2010, the first homicide wasn’t recorded until late March. But in 2009, Winnipeg police were dealing with three homicides by Jan. 21.

History

Updated on Friday, January 25, 2013 at 11:25 AM CST: Updated with details from police

1:52 PM: Updated and new headline

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