Former OPP commissioner calls Barrie homicide case ‘very complex’ with many challenges

Former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis breaks why Barrie police have been keeping quiet on the encampment investigation and the approach for a multi-jurisdictional

The recent closure of a massive homeless encampment in Barrie was not just about clearing the site, it was a key step in an intricate homicide investigation stretching across Simcoe County and into Muskoka, according to former OPP commissioner Chris Lewis.

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In an interview with CTV News on Friday, Lewis says the case, which led to murder charges against 52-year-old Robert ‘Tattoo Rob’ Ladouceur, involves multiple crime scenes in different communities, extensive searches, and evidence gathering.

“There’s a lot of balls in the air in any investigation,” Lewis said. “In this case, it’s multi-jurisdictional … where they had to search and conduct deep and complicated searches. Bringing all that together is never easy and this is a very complex one for sure.”

The encampment, in the area of Anne, John and Victoria streets, was evacuated July 30 and remains off-limits. Police later expanded their investigation to a rural property in Huntsville and in north Simcoe County, recovering evidence that included suspected human remains. Police say the evidence is now undergoing testing at a forensic centre in Toronto.

Lewis said because people were living in the encampment it made the process that much more challenging. Police remained tight-lipped about why the area had been cordoned off for 10 days before turning the location over to the city, which has kept it a no-trespassing zone.

“[The police] couldn’t start digging and doing the things they had to do with people living there so that was an important part and that made things a little more complicated. At the same time, while they are digging in different communities, there are only so many forensic people who do all that,” Lewis explains.

“[The scene] has to be properly photographed, proper samples taken, and at the same time they’re dealing with interviews, they’re dealing with witnesses, they’re dealing with suspects, they’re dealing with tips and all of that coming together, and that’s a huge job for any police department,” he continued.

Ladouceur faces a slew of charges, including first and second-degree murder, two counts of indignity to a body, and weapons and drug offences. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.

“Before they could ever lay a charge of homicide they would have to know they have a victim, that it was a human victim that was found, and looking at all those charges, it’s obvious there are multiple victims here – two – and proving and identifying who they are, that’s a big job to put together," Lewis notes.

Police believe Ladouceur is responsible for the deaths of William ‘Blake’ Robinson, 45, and David Cheesequay, 41. CTV News has learned Robinson and Cheesequay each had checkered pasts with criminal records.

Whether the three were known to each other remains unclear.

In an interview with CTV News on Friday, Mayor Alex Nuttall extended his condolences to the families of the victims. “To those individuals, those families of those individuals who have been murdered, their lives have been taken ... I think, you have a city that’s mourning with you. As we move forward out of this, we need to make sure there are no longer the circumstances, no longer the environments where this type of activity can take place.”

Barrie police scheduled a press conference for later this month, but Lewis says to expect very little to be revealed in the case at that time.

“Anything Barrie police say to the public through the media is subject to being scrutinized in the trial at a later time, so they are going to be very careful how they operate that way. And they are probably still doing different investigative things,” he said.

“Further press releases by the police may not contain any more information. They may not be able to say any more … that is the reality of the court system and the court process," he finished.