SUN MEDIA
By ALYSSA NOEL
Sunday, November 02, 2008
"It is a real disturbing Halloween story," he said. "I'll remember this Halloween."
Officers arrived around 7:20 a.m to a park at 140 Avenue and 92 Street that's surrounded by three schools. Police say the victim was a man in his early 20s, but haven't released more details.
The grisly discovery comes a month and a half after the body of 22-year-old Nasir Mohamed Said was found behind Balwin school at 132 Avenue and 70 Street - less than three kilometres away - shortly before the school day began Sept. 16. That slaying remains unsolved.
Bozak said he walks his dog, Buddy, every morning between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. Typically, he takes a different route, but yesterday he decided to go through Northmount Park.
"I looked and I said, 'Something's not right,' " he said. "There was a bit of a darker shadow over there."
He walked closer to what he initially thought was "a dummy or a mannequin," but he soon realized it was a body. "I kind of shook him a little bit," he recalled. "In the meantime Buddy licked his face."
He touched the man's hand and realized he had been dead for some time. Bozak immediately went home and called police.
As investigators prepared to move the man's body yesterday afternoon, a blanket covering his face was removed, revealing he was dark skinned.
Abdi Razak, part of Edmonton's Somali community, arrived on scene shortly after on a tip that the deceased man was Somalian. After surveying the man's face, Razak estimated there was "an 85% chance" that was the case. He said he didn't think he knew who the man was.
Northmount Park is surrounded by three schools, including Northmount Elementary School, where principal Glenn Iriye said students were kept inside at recess yesterday. He explained to them what had happened and planned to send a letter home to parents that evening.
"They were certainly curious because of the emergency vehicles," he said, adding some students thought it was part of a Halloween display.
Graeme Wilson, who has lived across the street from the park for 14 1/2 years, said his wife thought she heard gunshots between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Friday. The couple looked out the window and didn't see anything suspicious, so they didn't call police.
"It could've been firecrackers," Wilson reasoned. "It's a very good neighbourhood, no problems. But a lot of young people (hang out in the park) in the summertime."
Source: Sun Media, Nov 02, 2008