RCMP investigating homicide in Whitehorse area

WhitehorseRCMP say they are investigating a homicide after the body of a 25-year-old man was found outside the city.

According to a news release, the body of the man was found just before 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. "The incident was quickly deemed a homicide," according to the release.

This is the fourth suspected homicidein the Whitehorse area since March, and the eighthhomicide investigation in the last 11 months in the Yukon, according to Superintendant Brian Jones, the criminal operations officer for the territory's RCMP.

"That is a significant amount of work and our major crimes unit is working beyond capacity on all of those," Jones told CBC. "

The RCMP's Major Crime Unit is leading the investigation. According to police,aforensic autopsy has been scheduled for tomorrow in Vancouver. "It's been an all hands on deck situation for the major crimes unit here in Yukon. This is not the first time that we've reached out and requested assistance outside the division."

Jones couldn't comment on the investigation, except to say that the victim's family had been notified and that the body was located outside when it was found.

Yukon RCMP have requested and received assistance from RCMP in British Columbia and Alberta, according to Jones.

According to the release,"multiple RCMPunits are also assisting, including the Forensic Identification Section, Police Dog Service, General Investigation Section and Whitehorse Detachment."

In response to public concerns over the number of homicides in the territory over the past several months, Jones said that "this is not the Whitehorse, and this is not the Yukon, that we traditionally understand and know.

"We hear that as well," he said."And we're concerned... about the number of homicides, and are working as hard as we can to try to solve them."

Police are askinganyone with information tocall investigators at (867) 667-5555, or anonymously throughCrime Stoppers at1-800-222-8477or online atwww.crimestoppersyukon.ca.