A dangerous person alert issued by Calgary police for the city and surrounding area on Monday was cancelled after police found the suspect dead near the community of Water Valley, 62 kilometres northwest of Calgary.
Investigators say 38-year-old Benedict Kaminski, who they were searching for in relation to two homicides that happened on Sunday night in Calgary, was found dead near his vehicle in the Water Valley area of Rocky View County.
Police were called to the scene after receiving tips from the public that Kaminski’s vehicle was parked along a road at around 3:40 p.m.
Police are no longer looking for a suspect in relation to the homicides and say no further information is available at this time.
The dangerous person alert was issued following the discovery of the bodies of a man in his 70s and a woman in her 30s on Sunday at two different locations in the city.
Police had originally said the public was not at risk given that the deaths are believed to have been targeted and domestic in nature, but on Monday afternoon Insp. Lee Wayne explained the reasoning behind issuing the alert.
“We don’t want anyone to interact with this individual,” he told reporters at a news conference about the investigation.
Calgary police provide update on dangerous person alert:
Insp. Lee Wayne of the Calgary Police Service Major Crimes Section speaks to reporters about the dangerous person alert issued in relation to a double homicide investigation. Police are searching for 38-year-old Benedict Kaminski.
“We go through a risk-assessment process at every stage of an investigation, and once we start to see sudden behaviours or concerns getting raised, we then look towards utilizing the public and alerting them to risks,” Wayne said.
Police first responded to reports of a person in medical distress, at the 0 to 100 block of Kincora Grove N.W. in Calgary’s Kincora neighbourhood, around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. When officers arrived, police say they found a man in his 70s who was dead.
Later on Sunday, at 11:15 p.m., they found a second victim whom they believe to be the man’s daughter. The woman in her 30s was found in the 300 block of Tuscany Ridge Heights N.W. in the city’s Tuscany neighbourhood.
Wayne said the timeline of the killings was unclear. He said other family members were safe and receiving support.
Autopsies for both bodies are scheduled for Friday.