Dead body found in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, police investigating

Montreal police (SPVM) announced late Sunday morning that the suspicious death discovered around 5 a.m. in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough is now considered a murder.

This is the 10th homicide of the year in the metropolis.

The investigation has been transferred to the SPVM's major crimes section, said SPVM spokesman Jean-Pierre Brabant.

"Officers have been investigating the death since 5 a.m.," said Brabant. "A man in his 30s was found unconscious in an alley on Parc Avenue, not far from Mont-Royal Avenue. The SPVM is confirming that it is investigating the 10th homicide on the Island of Montreal in 2024. Investigators will try to understand the causes and circumstances surrounding the death."

A passer-by discovered the victim, a 33-year-old man, by chance and Emergency services arrived on the scene after a 911 call.

A large security perimeter, comprising Villeneuve and Hutchison streets, Mont-Royal Avenue and Jeanne-Mance Street, was set up to protect the crime scene and facilitate the work of investigators.

The SPVM mobile command post and forensic identification technicians were dispatched to the scene.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 12, 2024.