The investigation into the death of a man in a Bridgeland back alley in 2013 has stalled and police are hoping the release of an image of the vehicle he was found in will help produce new clues.
Anthony James Fernandez, 19, was reported missing by his family on Christmas Eve.
He was found deceased in a vehicle in the 1200 block of Colgrove Avenue N.E. at about 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 27.
The young man’s death was deemed a homicide but the cause of death has not been released.
Several people were interviewed in connection to the case but police say they have been cleared and that the investigation has now hit a road block.
“They’re complex files and on this one unfortunately, we exhausted a lot of the avenues originally, we’re at the place right now where we’re in a bit of a holding pattern and we’re hoping that in releasing some of these further details, the public will be able to assist us in moving this file forward,” said A/S/Sgt. Kurt Jacobs of the Homicide Unit.
Police believe Fernandez died where he was found in the early morning hours of Christmas Day.
Investigators say the vehicle he was found in, a 2009 maroon-coloured Mazda 6, was lit on fire, which destroyed much of the evidence inside.
“There was some evidence inside that was lost due to the fire. We believe the culprit or culprits did intentionally set that fire and I can’t speak to exactly what or the details to protect the integrity of this investigation but it is fair to say that some evidence had been lost,” said Jacobs.
Daisy Fernandez, Anthony’s mother, spoke out about her son at a press conference on Monday pleading for people to come forward with information on the case.
“We still have no answers about who is responsible. Anthony had so many plans for the future but that ended way too soon. His personality and big, bright smile always lit up any room he was in. He was very caring and loving and was always surrounded by people who loved and cared for him the same way,” said Daisy. “As a family we are frustrated by the fact no one has been identified yet in this case. We are frustrated at how long it has taken to solve this crime and frustrated that the person who killed Anthony is still walking the streets.”
Investigators do not believe the homicide was random but say there is no indication that it was related to gang activity or organized crime.
Police have released a photo of the vehicle and are asking anyone who saw it in the area at the time or whomay have other information about the case to contact them at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously using any of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
TEXT: tttTIPS to 274637
