RCMP officers in the Cowichan Valley are investigating a weekend murder in Duncan.
Just before 12:30 a.m. on May 4, RCMP officers from the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP were called to Prevost Place in the 3200-block of Cowichan Lake Road in North Cowichan for a report of a fight in progress.
When officers arrived, they discovered a 23-year-old man suffering from fatal injuries, and he was pronounced dead at the residence.
Daniel Coogan, 27, was arrested at the scene and remains in custody.
He has since been charged with one count of murder and is expected to appear again in court on May 21.
Neighbour Jesse Parisien said he was “shocked” when he heard about the murder of the young man who he called Finn.
He said Daniel and Finn were brothers who lived together in a unit in the apartment block next to his, and he had given Daniel a ride to work just last week.
“They were part of the social scene here and we often drank together in a local pub,” said Parisien.
“They appeared to be close and always got along. They were happy guys. It’s eerie to think what happened in that apartment.”
A statement from the RCMP said officers will remain in the area of Prevost Place as the investigation continues and the scene will be inaccessible for an undetermined amount of time.
“While we understand that such an incident is concerning for our residents, we want to reassure our community that this was an isolated incident and the victim and the man charged were known to each other,” said Inspector Chris Bear of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP.
