Two RCMP officers visited a residence in Dartmouth, N.S., in search of a suspected drunk driver. However, they were unaware that the individual they were looking for had been discovered deceased over a year ago as a victim of unsolved homicide. This interaction was recorded on a doorbell camera at the home of Leslie Sparks, the mother of Tyrell Beals, and later shared with CBC News.
Tyrell Beals, aged 36, was found dead with gunshot wounds near a road in North Preston last year. The RCMP had issued a public plea for information two months prior to help solve the homicide case. The officers, responding to a report of an impaired driver in Lower Sackville, went to the wrong address due to a mistaken identity, as the suspect’s name resembled that of a former resident.
During the encounter, Beals’s 15-year-old sister and young twin daughters were present. The sister questioned the officers about filing a complaint against someone who was deceased, to which one officer seemed puzzled. Leslie Sparks, who was not at home, spoke to the officers via her daughter’s speakerphone, informing them of her son’s passing and chastising them for not being aware of it.
Following the incident, an officer apologized for the misunderstanding and promised to inform those who made the complaint about the situation. However, Sparks expressed frustration, feeling continuously traumatized by the RCMP’s actions and doubting the sincerity of the apology. She criticized the lack of progress in solving her son’s case, suspecting that the police were not diligently investigating it but rather trying to silence her.
The incident at Sparks’s residence has reinforced her belief that the authorities are not prioritizing solving the homicide. The family continues to seek justice for Tyrell Beals, whose case remains unsolved since his tragic death in May 2024.