Body, inactive meth lab found in Linden Woods home

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This article was published 03/05/2023 (1179 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Residents were left stunned in the hours-long “chaos” after police discovered a body and an inactive meth lab at a home in the Linden Woods neighbourhood.

Police responded to a house on the 200 block of Foxmeadow Drive around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, after receiving reports a man had been found dead inside, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a release Wednesday.

Officers found the body of a 39-year-old man, and discovered the lab — which was not operational but had been used to produce a small quantity of methamphetamine in the past, police said.

The man’s body was taken for autopsy. The cause of death has not yet been released.

A 70-year-old female and a 37-year-old male were evacuated from the residence for their safety, as first responders dismantled the lab, police said.

Neighbours said the woman is a long-time resident and homeowner, and the man who died was her son. The woman declined to speak with the Free Press.

“They’re an absolutely lovely family. This was a shock to all of us; it’s devastating, actually,” said one neighbour, who asked to have her name withheld.

The neighbour described the deceased as “quiet, but a lovely guy,” adding she knows the mother well and their children grew up as friends.

She described a tense evening, with neighbours peering out their windows as additional police and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service members arrived and shut down much of the block.

Around 4 p.m., police visited nearby homes and asked residents to remain inside, warning them they would not be able to access the road for a while. The area did not reopen until well after midnight, the woman said.

The organizations worked jointly to remove hazardous materials within the home. A third-party waste management company transported and safely disposed of the waste, police said.

“It was chaos. With the firetrucks, ambulances and hazmat (vehicles) for many, many hours,” the woman said.

Another neighbour, who also asked not to be named, said he realized the incident might be drug-related when he saw the additional crews respond.

“Once I saw hazmat, I kind of had a general idea of what was going on,” he said. “It is a bit of a shock… We’ve seen (the now deceased) walk around the neighbourhood and walk his dogs.”

By Wednesday afternoon, no evidence of the incident remained. Children were returning from nearby schools, while residents walked their dogs or completed yard work.

A few stopped to stare at the home, which had its curtains drawn.

During the holiday season, the street is known for its elaborate Christmas light displays, with residents calling the area Candy Cane Lane.

“Personally, I am sad for the family.They are nice neighbours, this is a nice neighbourhood and we’ve never had issues here. Obviously, drugs happen everywhere,” one neighbour said.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca