Police say the death of a man who was found on Poundmaker Road is not suspicious.
Justin Semenchuk, known to some as Justin Duke, was found on Wednesday morning just before 5:30 a.m., face down on the road near the intersection with Sir Winston Churchill Avenue.
The death of the 24-year-old man from Edmonton is being ruled non suspicious after an investigation by RCMP and autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
RCMP say the chief medical examiner will conduct further tests in the coming weeks to determine the exact cause of death.
Dennis Birkholtz, who lives in the area, said he got a call from his wife who was distressed after seeing a body laying on the road on her way to work at 6:30 a.m.
“She phoned me and she was really upset and distraught. She said ‘I just saw a dead body.’ She was on the verge of crying,” Birkholtz said.
When he got to the scene around 8 a.m., Birkholtz said he was able to take some photos of the body laying in full view on the road.
“He wasn’t covered, which I have a problem with too.”
Police didn’t cover the body until around 9 a.m. and traffic remained open on Sir Winston Churchill Avenue, he said.
“Had they put something around the body it would have been to me the proper thing to do,” Birkholtz said.
Several parents reported on social media that their children saw the body on their way to school that morning.
Birkholtz said that there were almost several traffic accidents because of drivers looking at the body while driving down Sir Winston Churchill Avenue.
“If people see somebody laying there of course they’re going to slam the brakes on,” Birkholtz said.
The incident is something Birkholtz will never forget.
“It’s something that I’ve never witnessed before and it’s something I did not expect in St. Albert of all places,” Birkholtz said. “I feel so sorry for the family.”
RCMP are asking anyone who had contact with Semenchuk on May 9th to contact them directly at 780-458-7700 or Crimestoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
