A 30-year-old man is facing a first-degree murder charge following a Feb. 2 stabbing on Cabot Street that left a 20-year-old dead.
Greater Sudbury Police released the scene at an address on Cabot today, following the execution of a search warrant at the property. For earlier coverage of this story, click here.
Located in the Cambrian Heights area, Cabot Street and Hearn Avenue are part of a block of townhouses and a couple of apartment towers bordered by Burton Avenue, Albany Street and Frood Road.
“Our Forensic Identification Unit processed multiple scenes and several witnesses were interviewed,” police said in a news release Saturday afternoon.
“Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division will seek out any additional witnesses and pursue any further evidence in the coming days as they prepare their case for court.”
Besides co-operating with police canvassing the neighbourhood for information, GSPS asks anyone with information to come forward. In the release, it also asks members of the public who may have digital evidence, including video, photos, messages or similar material to contact GSPS at 705-675-9171.
Police were called to the scene at around 8 p.m. on Feb. 2 for what GSPS said was a weapons complaint. Upon arrival, police said first responders found a 20-year-old man with stab wounds. He was transported to Health Sciences North, where he was later pronounced deceased.
A person was taken into custody on Friday evening and held for bail court this morning. That person has now been identified as Bradley Peltier, 30, of Wiikwemkoong, who was remanded into custody after his court appearance.
Peltier is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a weapon for a purpose dangerous to the public peace, GSPS said.
None of the allegations have been tested in court and the accused is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
The identity of the victim in this case, a 20-year-old, has not been released. GSPS extended condolences to the person’s family in the news release and said the name is being withheld “at this time pending further consultation with the family.”
A post-mortem examination will be conducted next week “in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service,” GSPS said.
The incident on Cabot Street marks the first homicide of 2024.
As previously reported by Sudbury.com, there were five homicides in Greater Sudbury in 2023. It is a drop from the 10 homicides reported in the city in 2022.
The homicide rate in the Nickel City has climbed in the past 10 years, Statistics Canada data shows. One homicide was reported in both 2013 and 2014, two in 2015, zero in 2016, and one in both 2017 and 2018.
After that, the situation changed, from three homicides in 2019 to five in 2020, then to six in 2021 and finally 10 in 2022.
Greater Sudbury actually had the third-highest homicide rate in 2022 among Canadian cities with a population of at least 100,000 people, with a homicide rate of 5.83 per 100,000 people.
From 1981 to today, Statistics Canada shows the year with the single-most homicides here was 1987, when there were 11.
