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::SCOOP::
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Newsletter -
October 22, 2009
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Gay Man Murdered In Downtown Toronto
Source:
Rob Salerno,
National
(October 19, 2009 )
UPDATE 20 OCT 8am -
Ryan Cooke didn’t know that his fiancé had
been brutally murdered seven hours earlier when he posted on his
Facebook page: “HEY...does anyone know where Chris is?” at 10:04am
on Sun Oct 18.
Cooke had lost his phone and no one could reach him. Police had been
called to the corner of Adelaide St E and Victoria St at 3:05am by
several eyewitnesses who had seen Cooke’s fiancé
Chris Skinner
attacked by a group of men who beat him to the ground then ran over
him with an SUV. Skinner was taken to hospital where he died of his
injuries.
Skinner is the 43rd homicide of 2009 in the city of Toronto. Hours
earlier, Skinner and Cooke had been celebrating Skinner’s sister’s
birthday in the entertainment district. Skinner decided to leave the
party and walk home alone. Details of the attack are being kept
under wraps as the police investigation continues, but it is known
that Skinner got into an altercation with the occupants of a black
SUV before he was beaten, and that after running him over the
attackers fled east on Adelaide in their SUV.
The number of attackers has not been confirmed, but it is believed
there were at least two and possibly three or four. The make and
model of the SUV and its licence plate number were not yet known,
but police will be combing over surveillance video from the area to
see if it can be determined.
Friends of Skinner suspect that the killing may have been a hate
crime, but police haven’t drawn that conclusion.
“No, there’s not at all any indication that there were homophobic
elements to the attack,” says Det Stacey Gallant.
But that doesn’t sit well with Skinner’s friends who are struggling
to find a motive for the murder.
"Not a single person who knows him would say that he would cause a
ruckus,” says Skinner’s long-time friend Craig Lund, “but he would
stand up for himself if he was called on anything. I find that
Toronto Police very rarely jump to the conclusion that homophobia
exists.”
Skinner, 27, lived with Cooke and they planned to get married next
summer. He worked as a graphic designer at Endeavour Marketing.
Cooke could not be reached for comment at press time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Stacy Gallant
at 416−808−7410 and Detective Doug Dunstan at 416−808−7406, or Crime
Stoppers anonymously at 416−222−8477 or online at
www.222tips.com. And Xtra
here.
OCT 19 Xtra.ca
Staff - The Toronto Police Service reports that 27-year-old
Chris Skinner was killed in the early morning hours of Oct 18.
Police were called to the Adelaide St E and Victoria St area at 3 am
to investigate a report of an injured pedestrian.
Police said in a press release that an altercation took place
between Skinner and the occupants of a black SUV. Skinner was
knocked to the ground. The attackers then returned to their vehicle
and ran Skinner over with it.
Police say the SUV fled eastbound on Adelaide St. Skinner was taken
to hospital where he died.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at
416-222-8477 and Xtra
here.
Xtra will update as information becomes available. |
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::LANGFIELD
ENTERTAINMENT:: ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WITH A CANADIAN TWIST::
