Suspicious Death Deemed Homicide

The Regina Police Service is confirming the investigation into the death of a man, whose body was found last Friday in his home on Grey Street, is now a homicide investigation. The man’s death was originally treated as suspicious. An autopsy was ordered by the Coroner and the death is now being investigated as a homicide. The deceased person has been identified as 46 year-old Mavor Leo James DEMERCHANT, DOB: 1965-12-20, of Regina. At approximately 4:32 p.m. on Friday, October 19, 2012, police received a call from a resident on the 1300 block of Grey Street expressing concern for a neighbour who hadn’t been seen for several days. Police went to 1368 Grey Street and, after initial attempts to make contact with the resident were unsuccessful, discovered the body of a deceased male inside the house. Officers secured the house and requested additional resources, including Forensic Identification, Major Crimes and the Coroner. The investigation indicates that Mavor DEMERCHANT was the victim of an assault that occurred on September 29, 2012. On that night, police and EMS went to the house at 1368 Grey Street and learned that an unknown person or persons assaulted the victim. The victim did not go to hospital. The next day and in the following weeks, police made a number of attempts to contact DEMERCHANT, but were unsuccessful. The next visit to that address was Friday, October 19th, when police were called by a neighbour of the victim who hadn’t seen DEMERCHANT in weeks. As a result of the investigation, carried out in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner, police are treating this death as a homicide, believing the victim’s death to be the result of the September 29th assault. This is Regina’s fifth homicide of 2012. Anyone with information that could help in this investigation is asked to contact the Regina Police Service at 777-6500 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. This investigation is ongoing.