Toronto police have made an arrest in the horrific killing of a popular gay DJ, who was found dead when crews responded to a fire in the laundry room of his apartment building.
CP24 reports: “Peter Elie, 52, was found dead early Thursday morning after crews responded to a small fire in the laundry room of an apartment building on Balliol Street near Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue. One resident in the building previously told CTV News Toronto that they heard ‘screaming and yelling’ early that morning followed by ‘silence’ and then the smell of smoke. The victim’s roommate, meanwhile, said that Elie had gone down to the second floor to do laundry but did not return.”
“Police said Elie was discovered with ‘visible signs of trauma’ near where a small fire was burning. Fire crews were able to quickly put out the flames, but Elie was pronounced dead at the scene,” CBC reports.
Elie was a beloved DJ in Toronto’s gay village and played frequently at Pegasus and Woody’s.
Police released very clear surveillance video of the suspect, 27-year-old Rico Harvey, and Harvey was later arrested. Harvey has been charged with one count of second degree murder, CBC adds.
CP24 adds: “A motive for the homicide remains unclear, though police have previously said that there appeared to be no previous relationship between the suspect and Elie and that they likely encountered each other for the first time that morning.”
An earlier report on the killing:
