As Edmonton police investigate a suspicious death, a roommate and family member of the deceased said the man had come back home after a night at a local pub hours before his death.
At about 2 a.m. Sunday, Bryan Hanson said his cousin, who he would identify only as Mike, came home with a friend – and said both of them were drunk after spending several hours at a nearby bar.
Hanson said his cousin had been in a fight that night – he described the fight as ‘bad’, but said his injuries didn’t appear to be serious.
“There was just maybe a little blood on his lip, a little bump on his head, that was it,” Hanson said.
Hanson said he tried to take his 32-year-old cousin to the hospital, but he wouldn’t go – and he took care of his cousin for a few hours, before they all fell asleep.
“As we’re dozing off I’m looking at him, I’m watching him, he’s breathing and he’s ok,” Hanson said. “Then we woke up and couldn’t wake him up.
“It was surreal I’ve never been around a situation like that.”
Police and emergency crews were called to the home in the area of 91 Street and 83 Avenue just before 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
Hanson told CTV News the paramedics said the man had been dead for a couple of hours before Hanson woke up – he hopes investigators work out who was involved in the fight that caused his cousin’s serious injuries.
“He’s the best guy you could know, [a] hard worker, great guy, outgoing, he’s the life of the party everyone wants to be around him,” Hanson said. “Just a good guy.”
The file has since been turned over to the EPS Homicide Unit – an autopsy has yet to be scheduled.
With files from Nicole Weisberg
