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MIDDLESEX CENTRE – A 28-year-old is charged with second-degree murder after a man was found dead at a popular summer camp and outdoor education centre in this community west of London.
Emergency crews were called around 9 a.m. Monday to an address on Carriage Road in Middlesex Centre for a report of a sudden death, Ontario Provincial Police said.
Investigators ruled the death a homicide and charged Nicholas Russell-Ewanation, 28, of Middlesex Centre with second-degree murder. Police didn’t release the name of the deceased, but court documents identify him as Barry Ewanation. No cause of death was provided.
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“There is no threat to public safety,” the OPP said in a statement. “Members of the community can expect to see an increased police presence.”
Multiple police cruisers remained Tuesday the Circle R Ranch, located at 3017 Carriage Rd., where a man placed a do-not-enter sign behind the closed gates to the sprawling property. An OPP detective at the scene declined comment.
Founded in 1966 by Milly and John Russell, Circle R Ranch is a summer camp and outdoor education centre located on a 220-acre property bordered by the Dingman Creek watershed. The venue – a popular destination for school trips – offers a range of seasonal outdoor activities including horseback riding, canoeing, swimming, archery, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
“Our mission is to connect people with nature through outdoor recreation and experiential learning,” the website says.
A call Circle R Ranch went unanswered Tuesday.
Court documents list Russell-Ewanation’s home address as the Circle R Ranch. He appeared briefly by video link in a London court Monday and was remanded into custody until his next appearance Wednesday. The accused’s relationship to the deceased wasn’t immediately clear.
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The homicide – the second in Middlesex County this year – shocked residents and business owners on Carriage Road, a rural road running north-south starting at Gideon Drive, just west of London.
George Cieloszczyk, the owner of G&T Automotive Services on Carriage Road, called it a “big-time worry.”
“It makes me feel like it can happen to anyone here, a customer or a friend,” said Cieloszczyk, who assumed the large police presence was related to a vehicle crash.
Ken O’Donnell, the owner of Twin Streams Equestrian Centre on Carriage Road, said he was surprised to learn about the homicide.
“You never see or hear of this out here,” said O’Donnell, who has lived on the road for three decades. “This is still a fairly rural area.”
The homicide comes less than five months after Maria Medeiros, 82, was found dead inside her home at 4022 Wardell Dr., northwest of London, and her son, Emanuel Medeiros, 59, was charged with second-degree murder.
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