Members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Central Region are assisting the Port Hope Police Service (PHPS) in a suspicious death investigation.
On Friday, August 5, 2022, at approximately 10:20 a.m., the PHPS responded to a report of a person suffering from serious injuries in the West Beach area in the Town of Port Hope. Upon arrival, officers located the person, who was subsequently airlifted to hospital as a result of life-threatening injuries.
On August 12, 2022, the person, identified as Ian Purcell, 60 years-of-age, from Port Hope, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Central Region OPP Crime Unit members, Central Region Forensic Identification Services (FIS) and PHPS are continuing this investigation under the direction of the OPP’s Criminal Investigation Branch in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OCCO-OFPS).
A post-mortem examination is scheduled to be conducted on August 14, 2022, in Toronto.
Police are asking for the public’s assistance in this investigation and would like to speak with any witnesses or individuals who may have been in the West Beach area on August 4 and 5, 2022. Furthermore, police are seeking any video from the area, including dash camera video, security video or residential video.
Any person with information regarding this incident should immediately contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122 or the Port Hope Police Service at 905-885-8123 EXT 3 or Email phps@phps.on.ca
Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000. You can also submit information online at www.stopcrimehere.ca.
The OPP reminds all members of the public to be aware of their surroundings and personal safety at all times and to call police to report any suspicious activity.
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