Hay River (Oct 06/03) - A body discovered in a Hay River apartment building Sept. 29 has been identified. The deceased is 14-year-old Rea Buckley of Hay River.

The Hay River RCMP has not released the cause of death and the investigation is continuing.

"We still consider it a suspicious death," said Sgt. Don Fisher on Friday.

Fisher declined to say whether a criminal act had been committed. "The matter continues to be under investigation."

However, he did say no one has been arrested in connection with the case.

The body was transported to Edmonton for a medical examination in an attempt to discover how the teenager died.

According to an RCMP news release, the police received a complaint of a "suspicious occurrence" in the building at about 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 29.

The initial investigation led to the discovery of the body.

Fisher declined to offer many details on the investigation. He did say the teenager was not a resident of the apartment in which her body was discovered.

The RCMP's 'G' Division Major Crimes Unit is helping the Hay River detachment investigate the case.

Frightening

The death has shaken residents of Westbank Apartments.

"It's frightening," said one resident. "But I lived in Hamilton, and Hamilton is more frightening than this at times."

The woman, who asked not to be identified, did not know the deceased.

"I feel sadness more than anything else," she said.

Garry Longe, another building resident, said nobody likes to see such a thing happen.

"It doesn't matter where you live, something like that could happen," said the retiree, adding he also did not know the deceased.