Slaying victim ‘just full of love’

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This article was published 18/12/2020 (1723 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As Mounties headed back to the home of a Winnipeg homicide victim to search for more clues, he was remembered as a guy with a big heart who would help anyone.

RCMP said on Thursday that officers had returned to the last known residence of 56-year-old Bud Paul, on Hespeler Avenue, but would only say they did it after getting more information about the slaying.

Paul’s body was found hidden in deep brush on the Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation, south of Winnipeg, on Aug. 11 — four days after he was reported missing.

All police know is that Paul was last seen in a Neepawa liquor store Aug. 1, accompanied by two people.

Police later released photos of Paul and people with him there, as well as two people who were in the Winnipeg neighbourhood where Paul’s car was found torched on Aug. 10.

A photo was released of the two, including a man who appeared to be discarding evidence in a garbage bin.

Meanwhile, a former Winnipeg man who knew Paul for about a dozen years called him “a gentle man with a big heart.

“He was willing to help anyone,” said the man, who asked not to be identified.

“He was just full of love. I know he went through some struggles, but he had found a new life.

“And he loved helping people.”

The man feared that it could have been that love of helping people that led to Paul’s slaying.

“From what I heard, he had made contact with two people and they asked him for a ride somewhere and he offered to take them,” he said.

“Then people started asking me if I’d heard from him. I looked through Facebook and saw I hadn’t heard from him in a month. I don’t know where he met them or if he was helping them out.”

RCMP investigators are asking the public if they know anything about Paul’s whereabouts from Aug. 1 to 10, or if they have any information about the slaying, to call 431-489-8551.

— Kevin Rollason