Burnaby RCMP and the BC Coroners service are both investigating after a “decomposed” body was discovered in a local park Friday night.
Cpl. Brett Cunningham told the NOW on Saturday that a person walking through Central Park Friday night spotted what looked like a dead body and then called police.
The RCMP’s dog service was brought in to help with the search in the dark and the body was eventually discovered at or near a homeless encampment, Cunningham said.
“The body was decomposed and so it’s unclear how long the deceased had been there,” Cunningham said.
As of right now, only Burnaby RCMP and the BC Coroners Service are investigation and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has not been called in.
Preliminary results indicate homelessness in Burnaby has increased by 80% since 2017. An interim report released by the Vancity Foundation earlier this week shows a total of 124 people were identified in the March homeless count this year. It’s the first such homeless count in the city since 2017, when a total of 69 people were found, according to a Metro Vancouver report from that count.
- With files from Dustin Godfrey
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