Police seek public's help in identifying perpetrator
A critically injured, elderly male was discovered in Fenwick by Niagara Regional Police early Friday morning, Oct. 2. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to an NRPS statement released Friday, officers responded to a welfare check call around 2:45 AM in the area of Cream St. and Highway 20.
"Uniform officers arrived on scene and located an elderly male with serious injuries. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene," said the statement.
The Pelham Fire Department also responded, called out at 2:50 AM.
"The victim was deceased upon our arrival and Fire was cleared shortly after," Chief Bob Lymburner told the Voice.
Through an update late Friday evening, the NRPS identified the victim as Earl Clapp, 74, and said that a "suspect vehicle" was involved.
On Saturday, the NRPS requested that anyone who had contact with the victim in the days leading up to the incident call them at 905-688-4111, dial option 3, ext. 9134.
On Sunday, the police service released additional details that pointed to a botched theft gone tragically wrong.
Through a statement, the NRPS said that homicide detectives have reason to believe that Clapp may have interrupted an attempted theft of one of his trailers. Clapp ran his business, Niagara Farm Metal Products, at 1351 Centre St., in Fenwick. Sources tell the Voice that Clapp had already had at least one trailer stolen in the recent past.
Police theorize that Clapp was struck and dragged by the would-be thief's vehicle as it fled north on Centre, then west on Highway 20. Clapp's body was found on 20 west of Cream St., down the slight grade leading to Balfour St., about 1.5 kilometres from his home.
Voice correspondent Brian Green observed several small, blue evidence cones placed along the length of Centre St. early Friday afternoon. Returning about a half hour later, Green said that the cones had been replaced by numbered tags, and investigators were taking photos. Green, who lives in neighbourhood, added that two officers visited his home to ask whether he had heard or seen anything unusual the night before. He had not.
For much of Friday, police blocked Highway 20 between Centre St. west to Balfour St., leaving one local big rig driver stranded.
"I just live four, five minutes away," said the driver, who was departing at 4:30 AM Friday when police told him that he couldn't proceed. At midday, his rig remained parked along the side of the road near Cream St.
A member of the Peninsula Lakes Golf Club greenkeeping staff told the Voice that at around 11 AM he noticed something covered in white cloth along the side of Highway 20. A half hour later it was loaded into a grey van near the incident scene.
"It looked too small to be a person," said the staffer, who asked not to be named.
Individuals identified as detectives by an NRPS officer stationed at the intersection of Cream and Highway 20 were seen by the Voice walking door to door at noon.
As is often the case with the NRPS, police did not identify the exact location where Clapp was discovered. However, based on the position of emergency vehicles and yellow caution tape, the location seemed to be very close to 660 Highway 20 West, where a long driveway led to a residence.
At about 3:45 PM, police announced that they had cleared the area and the roadblocks had been removed.
Detectives are asking anyone who resides in the area that has video footage, or vehicles with dash cams that may have been in the area between the hours of 12 AM to 3 AM on Friday, October 2, to review their video footage and contact the Niagara Regional Police Service if they observe anything suspicious.
Anyone with information, or who may have witnessed the incident, is asked to contact the Niagara Regional Police at 905-688-4111, dial option 3, ext. 9134
UPDATED Oct. 2, 9:30 PM with victim's identity and police request for public assistance.
UPDATED Oct. 3, 3 PM with police request that anyone in contact with Earl Clapp earlier in the week contact them.
UPDATED Oct. 4, 7:30 PM with additional details of what police infer may have occurred on Clapp's property early Friday morning.
