Undetermined death ruled accidental

The Calgary Police Service General Investigations Unit have ruled out foul play in the death of a man found inside a wall of a downtown mall.

On Monday, April 30, 2018, at approximately 9:30 a.m., police were called to a mall located in the 700 block of 3 Street S.W., for reports that a body had been found inside the wall of a 4th floor bathroom. At the time of the discovery, staff had been conducting maintenance in the washroom, which required the removal of a panel that allowed access to the wall.

The body of a male in his 20s was removed with the assistance of The Calgary Fire Department and an autopsy was conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The investigation has determined that the victim entered the women’s washroom on the evening of Friday, April 27, 2018. The victim was alone when he entered the washroom.

Once inside the washroom, it is believed that he climbed on top of a pony wall which was directly behind the toilets and removed a vent cover, which was located on top of the wall. The pony wall, used to hide utilities, is approximately 7’ tall and is not connected to the ceiling and has no other access points. Based on evidence at the scene, officers believe the victim then climbed inside the pony wall through the vent opening where he became stuck and later died.

The victim’s motivation for crawling inside the wall is unknown at this time.

As the victim’s death is considered accidental, no further information can be released.