Homicide detectives are investigating after a man's body was found Wednesday morning in a culvert along the edge of Lake Ontario in Stoney Creek.
The body was discovered by a passerby at the north end of Fruitland Rd. around 8:15 a.m., prompting Hamilton Police to initially deem the death "suspicious."
However, a homicide investigator later confirmed that the death was not an accident, stating that the circumstances in which the body was found prompted the Homicide Unit to get involved.
The body was found "on the rocks, partially submerged in the water" by a citizen who was in the area during a break from work.
Det. Staff-Sgt. Robert DiIanni explained that the body was found in a sewer system that flows into the lake, with a rocky bottom where the water is not very deep and then gradually slopes into the lake proper.
Investigators believe the man was not killed where the body was found, but no further details were immediately available.
The autopsy has not yet been completed, and DiIanni said that the cause of death will not be determined until then.
The man was not carrying any identification, and DiIanni stated that the police do not know who he is, adding that investigators will review recent missing persons cases from across the GTA in an effort to identify the deceased.
Police remained at the scene Wednesday, continuing to gather evidence as they work to determine the circumstances surrounding the death.
DiIanni stated that police will release more information once the victim has been identified and the next of kin has been notified.
