TRENTON – Police confirmed Thursday that the victim of a murder in Trenton Tuesday evening was Edward William Phalen, 44, of Trenton.
New Glasgow Police responded to a complaint of shots fired on Mechanic Street around 8 p.m. Tuesday. When they arrived at the scene, police found Phalen deceased outside his residence.
New Glasgow Police and the RCMP are looking to speak with anyone who may have observed a suspect fleeing the Mechanic Street area at the time of the incident. The investigation is continuing.
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TRENTON – Police are still on the hunt for a murderer in the shooting death of a 44-year-old Trenton man Tuesday night.
Neighbours called 911 after hearing shots fired in the area of Mechanic Street around 8 p.m., says New Glasgow Police Const. Ken MacDonald.
Officers found a 44-year-old man dead outside a home. While police aren’t releasing the name of the victim, some neighbours have said the man was Eddie Phalen, who had moved into a home on the street just a few months earlier with his wife and four children.
Shortly afterwards, police had the street blocked off and the street remained closed to traffic until late morning on Wednesday.
Police checkpoints were also set up on all entrances to Trenton and police spoke to each driver, although MacDonald refused to comment on what they were looking for at the roadblocks.
New Glasgow Police Major Crime Unit called in assistance from the local RCMP, the Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit and Stellarton Police. Wednesday morning, New Glasgow Police officially turned over the lead on the murder investigation to the
RCMP’s major crime unit, saying they simply didn’t have the resources to manage both the murder and the disappearance of missing teen Amber Kirwan, who hasn’t been seen since Oct. 9.
“It’s an integrated effort, very similar to the Amber Kirwan investigation – the RCMP will be the primary investigators on this one and we’ll assist,” said MacDonald. “The decision is just one of resource allocation.”
Police say they are unsure at this time if the murder has any connection to Kirwan’s disappearance, saying it is too early in the investigation to determine that.
The murder left area residents shaken, however. Tiffany MacDonald’s father lives next door to the house where the murder occurred. He was working backshift that night and MacDonald was on her way to his house to pick up their dog right around the time the shooting occurred.
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“I was at my boyfriend’s place down the road when I heard the gunshots,” she said. “I was on my way here, but the cops blocked us.”
The shot, she said, was “really loud.” She believes it sounded like a rifle shot.
“I jumped as soon as I heard it,” she said.
The situation has left her frightened, she admits.
“People here, the whole neighbourhood, is very shocked, it’s hard to grasp,” she said. “First, Amber went missing and then all this happening at once – this kind of thing doesn’t happen here, I always considered it a safe place.”
Another neighbour echoed those comments, adding, “It’s an awful thing, that’s about all I can say.”
Trenton Elementary and Trenton Middle schools, located only a few streets away from the murder scene, kept their doors locked Wednesday in the wake of the murder.
The Chignecto-Central Regional School Board’s communication’s manager, Carolyn Pierce, said that’s part of the usual procedures when there is an outside threat in the area of a school, which also involves teachers and staff remaining extra aware of what’s going on.
“We’re monitoring the situation and it may change as the day progresses,” Pierce said early Wednesday morning. “That could possibly include keeping the students inside during lunch and recess.”
RCMP spokesperson Brigdit Leger says investigators are interested in speaking with anyone who believes they may have seen someone fleeing the Mechanic Street area after Tuesday night’s shooting.
“That may be that one piece of information that will lead us to the person or persons responsible for this homicide,” she said.
Police are not releasing any description of the person believed to be involved with the shooting, Leger added.
An autopsy was scheduled in Halifax late Wednesday.
ABSOLUTELY agree with you, Don! As you said, the police aren't releasing the name of the victim FOR A REASON! Maybe some family members have not been notified as of yet, and what a terrible way indeed for people to find out if the speculated name is correct. In the recent past, where people have died in a couple of accidents around where I'm from, loved ones of the deceased have found out on Facebook, which is absolutely ridiculous! Shame on those blabber mouths, and shame on YOU "The News!!"