Human remains identified
The dismembered human remains discovered behind an apartment building in Kitchener last Saturday have now been identified. Police confirmed on Tuesday that 24-year-old Kitchener woman Kelsey Louise Felker is the victim of the homicide.
No information has been released on the nature of the homicide and no suspects have been identified.
The female torso was found just after 11:00 a.m. in a garbage bin at the rear of a property located at 250 Frederick Street. The torso was wearing a tshirt that read “Forget princess, I want to be a vampire,” a feature that was used by police to help identify the victim.
At a briefing on Sunday, Kevin Thaler, Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS) inspector and executive officer of media and public affairs, said that police had canvassed the area and spoken to residents. He acknowledged that due to the large size of the outdoor scene, it could take some time to completely process.
Susan Weigel, a resident in the apartment building where the torso was found behind, said that although some residents were concerned, she didn’t feel there was any connection to the apartment. “It has nothing to do with our neighbourhood or our building,” she said. “It was a place of convenience and that was it.”
The rest of the body has not been recovered and it is not known how long the torso was in the garbage been before being found. Police are continuing their investigation and appealing to the public to provide any information they have related to the homicide.
This is the first homicide reported in this jurisdiction in 2013.
Anyone with information can contact the Homicide Branch of the police at 519-650-8500 ext. 8666 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Progress made in fire investigation
Police have concluded the on-scene portion of an investigation into a fire that occurred at a Waterloo apartment building last Saturday night. Fire crews were called to the scene at around 10 p.m. on Jan. 26 after a fire broke out in a kitchen in the second story of the building. Tenants were forced to evacuate from multiple blocks of the apartment. Some have returned, but there are still a number of tenants displaced by fire damage.
Two children sustained injuries in the fire. They were thrown from the window by their parents to protect them from the flames after fire crews were unable to gain access to the interior of the building. One child was taken to Grand River Hospital and the other was taken to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with critical injuries.
Those who are unable to return to the building at this time are being supported by various community resources, including the Lutherwood Housing Services, Region of Waterloo Social Services and the Canadian Red Cross. Additionally, Waterloo Fire Rescue has a program in place to help victims recover from a fire, titled “After the Fire.” An estimate of the dollar loss has not yet been determined, as insurance adjusters are still assessing damage and repairs.