UPDATE: Body in Polson Park - Death isn't suspicious | iNFOnews

RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk gets briefed by responding officer before talking to the media.

(HOWARD ALEXANDER / iNFOnews.ca)

August 13, 2013 - 12:02 PM

UPDATE: 3:46 p.m. Aug. 13, 2013

The body found in Polson Park on Monday was a man and the death is not suspicious.

The autopsy on the body found near Vernon Creek in the east end of the park was completely this afternoon.

"The pathologist was able to determine that foul play did not play a role in his death," Molendyk says. "The case has now been turned over to the B.C Coroners Service."

The coroner will be working to figure out who the man is and how he died.

UPDATE: 11:18 a.m. Aug. 13, 2013

VERNON - The body found in Polson Park yesterday was removed last evening by investigators for further examination.

An autopsy is expected to be complete later today, perhaps offering information about the person's gender, age and potentially the cause of death.

"The body has been there for an indeterminable amount of time," RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. When asked if that meant the body had been there for quite some time and if decay is making indentification difficult, Molendyk agreed that is likely the case.

The area of Polson Park where the body was found is still cordoned off and the RCMP are guarding the scene.

"This is standard prodcedure until we know whether or not the death was suspicious in nature," Molendyk says. If police need to investigate the death further, the potential crime scene has to be protected from contamination.

Meanwhile police continue to ask questions and search missing persons reports.

Anyone with information can contact Vernon RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

3:23 p.m. Aug. 12, 2013

VERNON - Just a few hundred metres from where children are playing and splashing in the water park, the Vernon RCMP's identification unit is working the scene where a body was found.

The body was found this afternoon near Vernon Creek in the east end of Polson Park. Investigators are focussing on a wooded area next to the park's overflow parking lot. It's an area of the park known for transient camping and drug use.

The RCMP are categorizing the investigation as a sudden death.

"It's too early to tell you anything other than that," RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. "It'll be hours before the investigators will have any more information."

Whenever the police find a body in a public place they investigate the death as a homicide.

"We put all the resources into the investigation," Molendyk says. The police will be working to determine if the death is suspicious.

"It's much easier to put all the resources in right off the bat… then to take it lightly and find out if we have something completely different."

Police don't even know the sex of the body at this point. It will be several hours before the RCMP have anything further to report.

"We will make sure we collect all the data, or evidence if you like, then the coroner will become involved," Molendyk says. Both the RCMP and the coroner will work to determine the cause of death.

"It will be several hours before we have anything further."

To contact the reporter for this story call Howard Alexander at 250-307-1637, or email halexander@infotelnews.ca.