03-07-2025
Death in Port Renfrew, B.C., no longer considered suspicious, RCMP say
The death of a man in Port Renfrew, B.C., last month – for which another man was arrested and major crime investigators were called in – was not suspicious after all, according to police.
The incident was first reported to Sooke RCMP around 9 p.m. on June 23. Responding officers were told that 'a man with blood on him' had been seen near Pachidah Road.
While they were responding, police located an injured man, who was later confirmed dead, despite life-saving efforts, according to police.
'Initial information' led investigators to believe the death was suspicious and to treat it as a homicide, said the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, which took over the investigation, in a news release Thursday.
Read more: Man arrested after suspected homicide on Vancouver Island
The VIIMCU said it has now concluded its investigation. It said in its release that the 'ongoing concurrent fact-finding investigation' by the B.C. Coroners Service, along with the police investigation, had led officers to believe the death was 'non-criminal in nature.'
The death is no longer considered suspicious, and 'the individual arrested has also been cleared in this matter,' police said.
The VIIMCU did not elaborate on the evidence it had gathered that led it to reach these conclusions.
'No further details will be released,' the unit said, adding that the investigation has been turned over to the coroners service.
