Photo: Contributed

Sicamous RCMP say the discovery of a body near a suspect vehicle is related to a suspicious death in Edmonton.

On July 11, Edmonton police warned BC RCMP that a white Toyota Tacoma pickup associated with the suspicious death may be heading to this province. Shortly after the broadcast, a Sicamous officer remembered spotting an identical vehicle stopped along Highway 1 in Malakwa.

The officer returned to the vehicle and found it unoccupied and running.

"Due to the nature of the investigation associated to the vehicle being conducted by the Edmonton Police Service, the Critical Incident Program was engaged, which consisted of the call out of a Critical Incident Commander, the Southeast District Emergency Response Team, and a Police Dog Services team," says Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the BC RCMP Southeast District.

"A search from the vehicle led officers a short distance into the wooded area, where they located a deceased male suspect."

The body was that of a 39-year-old man whom police believe was operating the truck.

"At this time, criminality is not suspected in the man’s sudden death," says O’Donaghey. "The BC Coroners Service has been notified and is also investigating."

The Edmonton Homicide Section has stated it is not looking for any additional suspects at this time.