HALIFAX — RCMP in western Nova Scotia are investigating two incidents involving mannequins found hanging from overpasses, and the Mounties have confirmed one of the cases is likely related to a violent death reported last year.Â
The Mounties say the most recent incident happened last Saturday, when an ambulance carrying a patient slammed into something in the dark as the vehicle was travelling on Highway 101 near New Edinburgh, N.S., around 9:30 p.m.Â
The ambulance was badly damaged but the two paramedics and patient inside were not hurt. The Mounties say the mannequin was dressed in orange clothing and was marked with the phrase, "Justice for Vernon."
On Tuesday, RCMP Cpl. Chris Marshall confirmed in an email that police believe the cryptic message is related to the death of Vernon Doucet, who was the victim of a violent home invasion on Feb. 16, 2022. The 64-year-old died March 12, 2022, after he was placed into an induced coma.
Doucet's former home in Concession, N.S., is not far from where another mannequin was found on Feb. 25 of this year.
In that case, a mannequin dressed in a sweater, blue jeans and shoes was found hanging from a Highway 101 overpass near Little Brook, N.S., about 18 kilometres south of New Edinburgh.
In March 2022, Doucet's stepson, Adam Lawrence, told CTV News that he believed the RCMP could be doing more to solve the crime.
At the time, residents in the Concession area had raised a $10,000 reward for credible information about what happened to Doucet, using the online hashtag #justiceforvernon for their fundraising campaign.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2023.
The Canadian Press
