Remains of 4 people found in charred vehicle in Timmins, Ontario

April 22, 2018 8:55AM EDT
TIMMINS, Ont. - Police in northern Ontario say they found the remains of four people in a charred vehicle following what they believe was a suspicious fire

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Investigators in Timmins, Ont., say the car was found late Friday afternoon, but they're still working to determine when the fire took place.

They have not yet identified the victims.

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Police were notified of the vehicle at approximately 6 p.m. Friday, after a citizen reported the discovery.

The vehicle was found in a remote area, approximately six kilometres along Price Road, which is a private logging road off Dalton.

Police said the charred vehicle is a 2004 Chrysler Intrepid.

“It is either blue or green in colour. We can’t really determine the exact colour at this point due to the damage from the fire,” said Timmins Deputy Chief Police Des Walsh at a press conference held in the boardroom of police headquarters Saturday afternoon.

He added, police “view this fire as suspicious in nature and foul play has not been ruled out.”

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“The vehicle was first observed by citizens who thought it was suspicious at around 6 o’clock yesterday (Friday) afternoon. So if we can get more information from the general public as to anything that may have been seen in the area prior to that time, that is certainly going to help us piece together a sequence of events.

“We’re hoping there may have been people who, for whatever reason, were in that area or prior to, who may have seen something and would be able to give us a better timeframe of how long that vehicle had been there, prior to it being reported at 6 o’clock.

“If you were there on Tuesday and there was nothing there on Tuesday, we want to know that because, once again, that is going to narrow down a timeframe for us.”

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[h=1]Deaths of 4 people in Timmins part of a 'tragic, violent' event, police say[/h][h=2]Investigators say suspect may be 'linked' to victims[/h]

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Investigators are appealing for any information about the 2004 Chrysler Intrepid in an effort to piece together when the sedan may have been driven down the logging road.

"This particular vehicle is the key element of the investigation at this point. We're hopeful to determine a timeframe that will better allow investigators to determine how the vehicle ended up where it did," Depatie said.

It's likely that whoever drove it to the forested area would have done so when the road was still covered in a layer of hard snow. Given the spring thaw underway, it would have been nearly impossible to navigate a four-door sedan on that road in the last several days, Depatie said.

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At a news conference today, corporate communications co-ordinator Marc Depatie said the vehicle involved was registered to a Timmins resident.
The remains are en route to Toronto for post-mortem examination and the vehicle is being taken to the Centre for Forensic Sciences in Toronto.

While there are still few details available about the victims, Depatie said police don’t believe it is “the act of somebody who will reoffend”.

“The Timmins Police wants to make it very clear that there is no need for public anxiety, there is no concern for public safety linked to this event. Indications are that this is an isolated event and that the person responsible had knowledge of and was familiar to the victims, but that remains something that we are determining by means of investigation,” Depatie said.

He said they are “dealing with a local family and made them aware of our investigation…so that they are braced for the eventual positive identification of these victims.”

“We felt this step was necessary, but again it always hinges on the positive identification of the victims in this particular event.”

He said there were no reported missing persons reported to the service in relation to the case.

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Price Road remains closed at its intersections with Dalton Road and Pine Street South. Police are hopeful that the scene will be released within 24 hours.

Depatie also renewed a call for the public’s help to create a timeline.

“The road is used for cottage access and for sportsmen, so perhaps somebody would have seen the vehicle either in Timmins or in the outlying area up to and including Friday, April 20. This will assist the investigators in determining a timeline and assist with the actual events that led up to this tragedy,” he said.

The vehicle involved is a 2004 Chrysler Intrepid that is either blue or green in colour.

Timmins Police are leading the investigation, however do have help from other organizations, including the Ontario Provincial Police, Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office and the Office of the Regional Coroner.

Anyone with relevant information can call Timmins Police Service at 705-264-1201 or submit information anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 705-268-8477.

An update on the investigation is expected tomorrow.

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TIMMINS - Timmins Police Service (TPS) is still waiting for official results of the coroner’s office in Toronto with respect to the identities and causes of death of the four people whose bodies were discovered at the scene of a car fire on a remote bush road south of Timmins last week.

The delay might be related to the fact the coroner had significant extra work to do this week when a man driving a van on Yonge Street careened up onto a sidewalk into throngs of noon hour pedestrians last Monday.
Ten people were killed in that single incident.

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While the identities of the human remains from Timmins are still not revealed, it was on Monday that police did release the names of four people from one family who have been missing for several days.

Those names are as follows:
• Joey Gagnon, age 37, of Timmins;

• Tammy Gagnon (Robitaille), age 34, of Timmins;

• Cole Gagnon, age 16, of Timmins; and

• Brandi Gagnon, age 14 of Timmins.

In the meantime, police continue the investigation into the deaths on Price Road. Depatie said police will make the public aware of any further pertinent details when it is deemed appropriate to do so.

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TIMMINS - The Timmins Police Service has confirmed the identity of the four deceased individuals found on Price Road last month were those of a missing Timmins family — a husband, wife and two teenaged children.

The police service issued a release stating it is in receipt of conclusive findings from the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto in regards to its investigation into an occurrence where human remains were located at the scene of a vehicle fire on Price Road on April 20th.
Based upon comprehensive post-mortem examinations which have taken place in Toronto, the identities of the deceased persons have been confirmed.
The human remains of three persons found in the vehicle are confirmed to be those of:

• Tammy Gagnon (Robitaille), 34;

• Cole Gagnon, 16, of Timmins, and
• Brandi Gagnon, 14, of Timmins
The human remains of a fourth person found a short distance from the vehicle are confirmed to be those of Joey Gagnon, 37, of Timmins.
“The Criminal Investigations Division of the Timmins Police Service continues to work with the Centre of Forensic Sciences, but at this time there are no reasons to suspect anyone else was involved in this occurrence,” police said in a release issued Monday.

While all the information points to murder-suicide, the spokesman for Timmins Police Service declined to offer a definitive answer when asked directly by The Daily Press about the circumstances.

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[h=1]Funeral scheduled for Timmins family found dead after car fire[/h]CBC News · Posted: May 15, 2018

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Joey Gagnon, 37, Tammy Gagnon (Robitaille), 34, Cole Gagnon, 16 and Brandi Gagnon, 14 were found dead after a car fire southwest of Timmins. (Supplied/Timmins Police)

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According to Miron-Wilson Funeral Home, a memorial mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 18. It will take place at St. Anthony's Cathedral

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Alice Ramnit said:

So are they saying that this was accidental or a murder suicide? I am confused!

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Fairlite said:

I noticed on the father, Joey G Gagnon’s fb page, his profile image is of a fiery bird (like a Phoenix rising out of the ashes..). His profile also shows that he is friends with his family members (such as his wife, kids and extended family) but it is locked down in that I can’t see his posts or the date he posted his profile photo. Does anyone else know when it was posted, or if there were any signs that he was unwell?

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dotr said:

Remains of 4 people found in charred vehicle in Timmins: police

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