Lambton County, Ont. victim identified in alleged double homicide

OPP have identified a person found deceased in in Lambton County, a death under investigation in connection with another homicide in Sarnia.

The remains were found the afternoon Dec. 28, 2021 at a property on Crooked Road in Enniskillen Township after police responded to a call about a supicious person.

The deceased has now been identified as 18-year-old Jelani Byer-Coates of Ajax.

On the same day a second body, later identified as 31-year-old Lance Richardson of Mississauga, was found deceased in a home on Watson Street in Sarnia.

CTV News London spoke with Richardson’s lawyer Stefan Peters. He says his client was reported missing a few days before he was found dead.

“I was contacted by his family over the holiday period, indicated that he had not been back home, which was not like him. And we spoke about it – and on my recommendation they put in a missing person’s request, and they got the tragic news of course, a few days later, that Lance was deceased.”

Matthew Theriault, 42, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of indignity to a body in connection with the deaths.

It remains unclear if the three men were known to each other and where the alleged murders took place.

But Peters says his client, Richardson, was known to police.

“I had represented him on various, you know, drug and firearms-related offences, that’s a matter of public record, those charges were withdrawn at the Crown's request.”

OPP say the investigation continues, with the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, Sarnia police, the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario and Ontario Forensic Pathology Services all involved.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.