'Armed and dangerous': OPP looking for suspect in relation to homicide investigation

Police in Ontario are taking to the skies over the hamlet of Walter’s Falls, to try and find Kodie Hearsum, a suspect in the shooting death of a 62-year-old person near Durham, early Friday morning.

“Members of the public need to know that he is considered armed and dangerous and is a threat to public safety,” said Grey-Bruce OPP Const. Nick Wilson.

Police believe the victim was shot on a property near Durham, around 3:04 a.m., Friday.

They then say they found the victim’s body near Walter’s Falls Friday night, which is where they’ve spent the past 24 hours focusing their search via air and ground, for the 34-year-old Hearsum, who they say was last seen wearing jean shorts and a light-coloured jacket.

“It’s a very serious situation. We have one individual who is deceased and a suspect that is still outstanding,” said Wilson.

Police near Walters Falls are using a helicopter in the search for a suspect in a homicide investigation on July 16, 2022. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

For the hamlet of Walter’s Falls, which has less than 50 homes and best known for it’s waterfall, the news of a manhunt for a homicide suspect is hard to believe.

“I’m absolutely shocked. This doesn’t happen around here,” said long-time resident, Gerry Austin. “This is all news to me. I was sleeping last night and I guess I missed it all.”

One neighbour, who didn’t want to be identified, said they encountered the suspect Friday night after his vehicle hit another vehicle at Walter’s Falls's lone intersection.

According to the neighbour, Hearsum allegedly stuck around for a moment but quickly ran off into the nearby woods once he heard police arriving.

Police near Walters Falls are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation on July 16, 2022. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

“Members of the public in that specific area right now are being advised to stay in their homes and refrain from travelling if possible,” said Wilson.

The discovery of a body and subsequent manhunt for a suspect is all a little too much, for Austin, who has called Walter’s Falls home for decades.

“It’s usually pretty quiet — oppressively quite, you might say. Not much happens here. Neighbours look out for neighbours, so I’m shocked to hear this,” he said.

“If anybody sees anyone that even remotely matches the suspect’s description, please call 911, and report it to us immediately, so we can investigate, and get this individual into custody,” says Wilson.