Thursday, June 2, 2005

Fire Determined To Be Arson

On Saturday 28 May 05 at 11:06 pm Manitoulin OPP were advised of a house fire located at 11 Strawberry Lane in Howland, Township. The NEMI fire dept were dispatched and upon fire and police arrival the residence was fully engulfed in flames. There were no injuries as a result of this fire and the house was completely destroyed by fire. The Ontario Fire Marshall’s Office was called in and a fire investigator has been assisting the OPP in their investigation.

As a result from the investigation and evidence collection from the office of the Fire Marshall and the OPP Forensic Identification Unit the fire has now been classified as arson and an official criminal investigation has been started. The investigation is continuing by the Manitoulin OPP, with assistance from the Fire Marshal and the Sudbury OPP Crime Unit.

Police are asking the public’s assistance if anyone has any information about this crime, they are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Your information is confidential and your identity is kept anonymous. If your information leads to an arrest and or conviction you can receive a cash reward up to $1000.00.

Gareden River Death Being Treated As Homicide

(Garden River First Nation Territory, Ontario) – The Ontario Provincial Police, in conjunction with the Garden River Detachment of the Anishinabek Police Service, is continuing its investigation into the death of a man on the Territory earlier in the week.

The deceased has now been identified as James Lee Parr(Trevett), a 20 year old Sault Ste Marie man. Mr. Parr(Trevett) had been reported as missing to the Sault Ste Marie City Police on May 31, 2005. An autopsy was conducted yesterday. The cause of death is not being released at this time, however, investigators are treating the death as a homicide.

On Tuesday, May 31, 2005 at about 2: 30 p.m. police were called to a building at an abandoned lumberyard on Hwy 17 in Garden River near the west border of the Territory. Officers discovered the body after they had been called to the area to investigate a complaint of people possibly drinking in the structure.

The investigation is being conducted by members of the Sault Ste. Marie OPP and Anishinabek Police Service, under the direction of Detective Inspector Bernie Murphy of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch. Anishnabek Police Service requested the OPP’s assistance in this investigation. Also assisting are members of the Batchawana First Nation Police and the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.