Homicide detectives with the Edmonton Police Service have confirmed three homicides that occurred in the downtown area in less than a week aren’t connected, but they’re not random.

Police said three separate homicides that happened in the downtown core between last Thursday, and Monday morning.

On May 30, police said Curtis Raymond Dugray, 51, was found dead in a park at 99 Avenue and 111 Street, Shane Kyle Bird, 18, died in hospital after suffering life-threatening stab wounds in the area of 114 Street and Jasper Avenue in the early hours of June 3, and Jose Rodriguez, 68, was found stabbed to death in his apartment on Jasper Avenue and 83 Street on the morning of June 3 as well.

Police said Rodriguez was found dead after he didn’t show up for work Monday, he was last seen at work the Wednesday before.

Despite their locations, and two of the deaths involving similar weapons, police said there’s no connection between any of them.

“None of these three incidents are linked in any way, we want to let the public know that, there’s no link between the three homicides that occurred in the last few days in Edmonton,” Staff Sgt. Bill Clark said. “By all accounts, it looks like these are not random acts.”

Investigators have two persons of interest in the Dugray homicide, and one suspect in the homicide of Shane Bird - although that suspect has not been identified.

Clark said Dugray and Bird were both known to police – and all three men had a history of being involved in a high-risk lifestyle, but at different levels.

Despite recent slayings, violent crime down in city’s core

Superintendent Tony Harder of the EPS Downtown Division also addressed the statistics around violent crime in his division; he said the numbers are actually falling.

“I can tell you that, I can’t control perceptions, but I can say that in Downtown Division generally, violent crimes are down 12 percent over last year to date,” Harder said.

As for the three new investigations, police are still trying to gather more information on these homicides, anyone with information that could help police is asked to call the Edmonton Police Service non-emergency line at 780-423-4567 or #377 on a mobile phone.

Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

With files from David Ewasuk