3 District Uniform Officers, K9 and Emergency Services attended the area of Highway 20 and Cream Street, in the Town of Pelham responded to a check on welfare on October 2nd at approximately 2:42am.

Police arrived to find 74-year-old Earl Clapp suffering from injuries. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

According to Niagara Regional Police Service Homicide Unit, police have reason to believe that the male victim may have interrupted an attempted theft of one of his trailers on his property, on Centre Street.

Clapp was struck and dragged by the suspect’s vehicle as it fled north on Centre Street, then west on Highway 20.  Earl Clapp was discovered, deceased, near Cream Street.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Niagara Regional Police Service Homicide Unit at 905-688-4111 , option 3, ext. 9134.

Update Matthew MacInnes, 39, of Wellandport, Ontario was arrested on Oct 9th and charged with second degree murder.
On Oct 11th police arrested Jason Lusted, 49, of no fixed address, and charged him with second degree murder.

Details on Canada’s Top 10 Mass Murders based on number of victims can be found here!

The Ontario 2020 Homicide Victim List is available here