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Richard Alexander Harris, 22, was found dead inside the trunk of a car on June 12th, 2007.

Harris was Edmonton's sixteenth homicide victim of the year.

Case status is open and active.

At about 7:30 p.m. on June 12th, 2007 officers were called out to the First Church of the Nazarene parking lot at 14320 94 Street to check on a suspicious vehicle.

There they found a 2007 silver Hyundai Elantra with external signs of foul play, specifically blood stains on the rear bumper. The trunk was opened and the body of a young white male was found inside.

Homicide detectives were then called in to take over the case.

The car, later confirmed to be a rental vehicle, had been reported to have been in the lot for up to twenty-four hours but Acting Duty Insp. Dave Elanic wouldn't comment on the timeline at the scene.

"Unfortunately, I can't reveal that because that's an integral part of our investigation," Elanic said.

However, church Pastor Garry Mullen had noticed a parking ticket on the car's windshield at about 11:30 a.m. on the 12th.

Later on June 13th, police identified the victim as 22-year-old Richard Alexander Harris, an Edmonton resident. Results from an autopsy performed the same day were withheld for investigative purposes.

Parking on the church's lot was also available to staff working at the Dickensfield Care Centre across the street. The operation employs 600 workers.

Several staff at the extended care facility spoke to media.

"When the vehicles dispersed at the end of the day there was still a vehicle left and somebody reported to police that this car had been there for an unusually long period of time," Hanna Handreka told CTV Edmonton.

Administrative assistant Grace Webster described to Global Edmonton what staff were asked by investigators.

"Everything seemed normal. There was nothing reported out of the ordinary – it was a normal working day for us."

"Police had mentioned there were two vehicles: a white Ford Tempo and a silver Hyundai that were involved in an incident last night."

After the Hyundai was towed to a police impound building, media were allowed shots of the car.

The Elantra was already in the parking lot when members of the church attended a meeting earlier in the day. When members left the meeting, police had taken over the parking lot and were processing it as the scene of Edmonton's latest murder.

A media almost desperate for details interviewed church-goers for their impressions.

"We always have cars parked here – and you just don't pay any attention to them," said Leslie Smith.

"The fact that it was here on the parking lot of my church in particular does hit home."

"He had friends, he has family and now he's gone. We believe in the sanctity of life so it's not a happy thing. All we can do is pray for his family, pray for his friends, pray for our neighbourhood," Smith reflected.

Others involved in the church had a more immediate response.

"Actually we're in quite a nice community. It's pretty surprising," said Ken Miller.

"I've got a message for the person responsible: he's welcome Sunday morning. It's what church is for."

"It's horrible," Pastor Mullen said. "I think it's part of the reason we're there, to bring peace to the community. It tells us our job is definitely still there."

Emily Machinski, a 30-year resident of the neighbourhood, said police questioned her if she had seen anything out of the ordinary.

"How do I know what a suspicious car looks like?" she asked, adding that quite a number of motorists leave their cars parked near her home.

The Edmonton Sun reported that police had found a knife discarded in nearby grass.

The parking lot was well-lit and in view of two bus stops.

At last report, police made no statement regarding suspects, possible motive or gang involvement, and officers on the case remained extremely tightlipped.

Police also did not speculate if Harris was alive when he was placed into the trunk of the car.

Those with information about Richard Alexander Harris' recent activities were asked to contact Edmonton police at 423-4567, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.tipsubmit.com - a secure tip submission web site.

A funeral service for Richard Harris was scheduled for June 21st, 2007. The family asked that in lieu of other tributes, donations may be made to the Edmonton Police Service Victim Services Unit.

The First Church of the Nazarene parking lot is located eighteen blocks due west of where Martin William Kent was run over by a car, part of an assault police feel was drug related.

Kent died May 22nd, 2007 after spending two weeks in hospital. Police released surveillance images of five suspects and the case remains under active investigation.

News in the murder investigation of Richard Alexander Harris was conspicuous by its absence. In the days following the discovery of his body, police have said less than little.

Even the media failed to file stories. Absent were the interviews with family or friends of the victim usually associated with a story of this kind.

On June 18th, the Edmonton Sun broke the silence with a story that essentially only reported that police had not yet linked the murder of Harris to gang activity.

Staff Sgt. Chris Kluthe of the police homicide section was quoted as saying only four murders in 2007 had been linked to gangs. However, Kluthe would not elaborate.

According to records kept by this site, only the murders of Ola Tinineh Moses and David Wong had been confirmed by police as gang-related.

In the matter of Deng Atem Bulgak and Juk (Jock) Deng Ring, victims of the The Delwood Double Murder, a gang link had not yet been discounted.

The Sun article stated police were "waiting for the dust to settle" on the Harris case before making a statement regarding a gang connection.

Confirmed in the story was that the cause of the man's death had not yet been released, and that police were still asking for information from the public.

There had been no indication in any published report if police had determined where Harris was murdered, or what role a white Ford Tempo spoken of by a Dickensfield Care Centre employee may have played in his death.

There has also been no police comment on the Sun report that a knife had been found near the church parking lot.

deadmonton 2007 - richard alexander harris