 An Edmonton Police Service cruiser is seen Edmonton, Alberta. (IAN KUCERAK/QMI AGENCY)
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EDMONTON - Police will not confirm rumours that a recent homicide victim's body was found headless in a ditch east of Edmonton.
But the rumours have people in the small towns of Ranfurly and Innisfree, Alta., on edge.
RCMP said they responded to a complaint of a sudden death of a male in a rural area near Ranfurly around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Edmonton Medical Examiner performed an autopsy Monday and ruled the death a homicide.
Grant Bergman, a resident of the nearby Innisfree, said rumours swirling around town claim the body was found headless in a ditch near a running car a mile and a half north of Hwy. 16, between Innisfree and Ranfurly.
Police cordoned off the road Saturday night and have remained on site since, he said.
"This is full, paid policemen sitting in cars 24 hours a day blocking the road. That is unheard of, to tie up those kind of resources in a small community for that length of time," Bergman said.
Bergman claimed police have questioned employees of the Innisfree Petro Canada, where a man in his late 40s or early 50s came in Saturday around 6:30 p.m. driving a vehicle with a Saskatchewan licence plate.
An employee of the Innisfree Petro Canada declined comment Tuesday.
RCMP spokeswoman Doris Stapleton would not confirm the exact location of the body or whether the head had been removed.
She said more details will be released as the investigation continues.
