A man found murdered on a wooded pathway in the quiet Ranch Park area of Coquitlam Wednesday was well-known to police, according to members of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
Police would not confirm whether the man was affiliated with a gang but IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Jennifer Pound said investigators have found evidence suggesting the death was a targeted homicide, making it the first murder of the year in the Tri-Cities.
The individual's identity had not been released by The Tri-City News' deadline yesterday, pending notification of next of kin.
Witnesses in the area told IHIT they heard gun shots or firecrackers at around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday night; however no 911 call was made at the time, Pound said. Coquitlam RCMP were on the scene at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning and IHIT was called in at around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators believe the man was killed at the location where he was found but Pound said she could not confirm the cause of death.
"It all comes down to the autopsy confirming it," Pound said. "We as the police can't confirm what ultimately took this man's life. We are not going to speak to that."
The body was located on a pathway between Spuraway Avenue and Meadowbrook elementary school near the intersection of Ranch Park Way.
Several neighbours said they did not see or hear anything suspicious and only learned of the murder when they saw police setting up the perimeter.
Police quickly cordoned off a large area around the crime scene, closing off several roads and snarling local traffic in the area during the after-work commute Wednesday evening.
IHIT said it is now leading the investigation with the assistance of the Coquitlam RCMP and the Lower Mainland District Forensic Identification team.
Police are also canvassing the neighbourbood in the hopes of finding witnesses and any new information.
