Hamilton police ask for publics help in homicide probe

Police are looking for anyone with information on the last hoursof a 57-year-old Hamilton man, whose death is now being probed as a homicide.

Ernie Sitter, 57,was found dead on Thursday in his apartment on King Street East atEdgemont, in east Hamilton.

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In a Friday news release, police said they had launched a homicide investigation after an autopsy found that Sitter died from blunt force trauma.

The suspected killing is Hamilton's third homicide of the year.

Officers will canvass the neighbourhood this weekend in search of witnesses, police said in the statement.

Anyone with information about Sitters death is asked to callDet. Ben Adams at 905-546-3836 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

'He was a good guy'

Agostino Dinardo has been running a barbershop that sits under the building for 57 years. Dinardo told CBC Hamilton on Friday that hed occasionally see Sitter in the area.

Sometimes wed say hi and hello when I see him, he said. He was a good guy.

Dinardo says the apartment doesn't have a history of problems. Its a good building, he said. Theyre nice people. Theyre family people. I never have no problem here, myself.

Police would sometimes be called to the area a few years ago when young people used to live upstairs, he said.

But when youre in one place for 57 years you see lots of different people. Lots of people mostly good.

A small group of neighbours were gathered in the back lot of the apartment Friday morning behind police tape lines, but werent ready to talk about the incident.

I dont want to talk about my neighbour, no, one woman said.