2 men who were killed and dismembered knew attacker: Barrie police

Barrie police say the killing of two people who were then dismembered was not random and that the accused and victims were known to one another.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Barrie police provided further details on the killing and dismembering of two men whose remains were found in Huntsville, Ont.

“The accused and victims were known to one another and all lived in the encampment on Ann Street at some point in time,” said Sgt. Brett Carleton.

Carleton said the accused and two victims had lived together in the homeless encampment sometime over the last two to three years.

Police first started investigating after the family of 45-year-old William (Blake) Robinson reported him missing in February, followed by 41-year-old David Cheesequay, who was reported missing at the end of July.

What began as a search for two missing people on July 30 in the area around the homeless encampment led to the discovery of human remains. Police also searched an area in Huntsville as well as a residence in North Simcoe County.

Carleton credited the Huntsville connection to statements from several witnesses.

During the press conference, police confirmed that both Robinson’s and Cheesequay’s remains were found in two locations.

On Aug. 1, a 52-year-old male suspect was arrested by Ontario Provincial Police trying to flee in Midland a day later. Police say the suspect has a criminal record and is known to police.

The suspect initially faced 19 criminal charges related to careless use of a firearm and fleeing police, but on Aug. 14, he was charged with additional offences, including first- and second-degree murder, two counts of indignity to a dead body and drug trafficking.

“This has been an around-the-clock investigation which has required significant contributions from all areas of the service. Your dedication is appreciated,” said Barrie police Chief Rich Johnston.

“I want to reassure our community that this appears to be an isolated occurrence. We are not looking for any additional suspects, nor do we believe that there are additional victims.”

However, Johnston said the investigation is ongoing and “if any information comes forward that leads investigators to believe there are additional suspects, victims or criminal events, those will absolutely be addressed.”

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