What police initially deemed as a suspicious death at a John Street residence in Sault Ste. Marie is now a murder investigation. The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Taylor Marshall.
"The cause of death is still under investigation," said Sault Ste. Marie Police Service spokesperson Lincoln Louttit.
"We can release that the victim did sustain significant injuries and that's why it's been deemed a homicide."
Police received a call about a deceased person at a multi-unit residence at the corner of John and Cathcart Streets around 5 p.m. Thursday. Since then, investigators have been searching in and around the residence.
"The emergency services unit is here, they will be conducting a search to collect other evidence," said Louttit.
"Our technological crime unit is here as well looking for video and other security footage of the area. So, obviously significant resources are being deployed to find more information about what took place here."
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Police have not made any arrests in this case. The discovery of the victim occurred on the same afternoon as a stabbing on the city's boardwalk, but as of now, police said they do not believe the two incidents are connected.
"Obviously detectives will turn over every rock to determine what took place and if they are connected, but there's no reason to believe that the assault that took place downtown is connected to this," said Louttit.
Sault police told CTV News this is the first reported homicide of the year.
Anyone who may have information to provide to investigators are asked to call Sault police at 705-949-6300 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.
