The mysterious death of Bella Laboucan-McLean

Locutus

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Jun 18, 2007
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Even living here I don't recall much news about this. An otherwise healthy happy girl falls 31 storeys while at a party. Nobody there calls police. It was an 800 sq. ft. condo.

Anyway, several columns have been written about her death (some spinning the missing aboriginal women thing, others ranting about the oil sands - how either relate to her very strange death and the lack of police progress in the case is beyond me but hey). I assume that all the people at that condo are still being monitored at some level.


Police seek to question third man about Cree woman’s mysterious Toronto condo death

APTN News 27. JAN, 2014

Toronto police investigators are now seeking to question a third man in relation to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of a Cree woman who fell 31 storeys from the balcony of a Toronto condo this past July, APTN National News has learned.

Police are still trying to determine what led to Bella Laboucan-McLean’s death in the early morning hours of July 20, 2013.

Investigators have already questioned two men and two women who were at a party in condo unit 3109 at the time when Laboucan-McLean, 25, fell to her death.

Nobody in the condo called police at the time of the incident. A man from the condo called in a missing persons report on Laboucan-McLean 12 hours after she fell from the a balcony on the 31st floor of 21 Iceboat Terr.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether the death was suicide, accidental or murder. The case has not been transferred to homicide detectives and is in the hands of Toronto police’s 14 Division’s criminal investigation bureau.

The division’s investigators have obtained a production order from an Ontario judge to access the cell phone records of at least four of the individuals in the condo at the time of Laboucan-McLean’s death.

They hope to discover whether there were any spikes in data transfers or phone calls to and from cells at the time of the fateful fall.
It could take up to three months for police to obtain the records from cell phone service providers, according to a police source close to the investigation.

Investigators, however, have managed to confirm the identity of a third man who was also in the condo at the time of the incident, according to the police source.

Investigators knew early on that a man named “Sergio” was also at the party, but failed to glean any information beyond his first name from their interviews.

He has since been identified as Sergio Abreu who appears to be friends with Andrew James, aka Ox, the man who was renting unit 3109.

The two were pictured together at the Tryst nightclub in December 2012, according to Facebook photos.


Andrew James (left) and Sergio Abreu (right) in a photo posted in December 2012 on Abreu’s Facebook page

The two men were also photographed together at Tryst on July 19, 2013, the same night Laboucan-McLean went to the club with friend Antony Rankine. The four later went to James’ condo with two women from Montreal.


Andrew James (foreground) and Sergio Abreu (background) at club Tryst on July 19, 2013. Photo: clubcatcher.com

Abreu is currently unemployed and no longer has an active cell phone number, according to a relative contacted by APTN National News.

Abreu did not respond to requests for comment from APTN National News.

Investigators made contact with Abreu last week.

Police were alerted to Laboucan-McLean’s death at about 5 a.m. when a neighbour called police after hearing a strange sound and seeing a body on the ground.

Investigators went into the condo building and began knocking on doors from the section of the building from where they believed she fell.

They came up empty. Investigators believe the party was still going at the time of Laboucan-McLean’s death.

“They were partying when the police was called at 5 a.m.,” said the police source.

Rankine, who is also a hip hop artist named Scandalis, told APTN National News that no one knew Laboucan-McLean had disappeared until they woke later in the day.

“The truth has been told already,” said Rankine. “None of us knew she fell until we woke up next day. The police have all this information.”


Police are still investigation mysterious circumstances around the death of Bella Laboucan-McLean, 25. Photo courtesy of LeeLee Photography

Laboucan-McLean grew up in her mother’s community of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation in Alberta. Her father Billy Joe Laboucan is the Chief of the Lubicon Lake Band.

She had recently graduated from Humber College’s Fashion Arts program and was planning to launch a career in the industry. She also attended the University of Alberta.

Her death stunned her friends and family who believe there is no way she would have taken her own life.

A vigil held near the spot where she died was attended by actor Tantoo Cardinal and author Naomi Klein.

Police seek to question third man about Cree woman's mysterious Toronto condo death » APTN National News

Red Power Media WordPress


Police seeking cell phone records to solve mystery of Cree woman’s Toronto condo death

http://aptn.ca/news/2014/01/17/poli...olve-mystery-cree-womans-toronto-condo-death/



Alberta woman's family says fatal 31-storey fall 'a nightmare'


http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...ys-fatal-31-storey-fall-a-nightmare-1.1353426

How a Cree woman fell to death, and no one saw anything

Naomi Klein
The Globe and Mail
Last updated Friday, Dec. 19 2014, 5:35 PM EST


How a Cree woman fell to death, and no one saw anything - The Globe and Mail
 

Nuggler

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Feb 27, 2006
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Backwater, Ontario.
"Despite finding these accounts questionable, the police put out no media advisory. It was two weeks before a single story about Bella’s death appeared in the local media. “I can’t make anybody talk,” the investigating detective told the Toronto Star."


Just could be there's nothing to talk about.
Quite possible she had too much to drink and fell of her own accord.
Or, just fell, accidentally.
Nah, too easy.
She was a Cree, so there's something nefarious there, eh.:roll:
 

Dixie Cup

Senate Member
Sep 16, 2006
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In Klein's article she says she feels "shame" - I don't know why. Until we know what happened, there's nothing to be ashamed of. If no one saw anything.....


It may seem crass for police to say "we can't make anybody talk" but its the truth. How many times have you heard and/or read about police saying "the victim isn't co-operating" or people who were there "aren't co-operating with police". What the hell are the police supposed to do?


The only thing that concerns me about this is that this supposedly (I don't live there) didn't make an appearance in the paper until 2 weeks after it happened. I'd want to know why.


JMHO
 

Cannuck

Time Out
Feb 2, 2006
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I'd want to know why.

Political correctness most likely. Depending on toxicology reports it was probably deemed a suicide or accident. If it's considered a suicide, they wouldn't put out a press release. A few years ago, an RCMP officer from the area, drove his cruiser to a secluded area and killed himself. There was no mention of it in the local paper. APTN news can get some mileage out of this. That's why its a story