THE BODY OF GREGORY TROY HAMILTON WAS FOUND IN A DUMPSTER ON APRIL 20

Police have released the name and photograph of the man whose body was found in a dumpster in Valleyview on April 20.

Kamloops RCMP has identified the deceased as Gregory Troy Hamilton and police are hoping the release of his name and photo will aid in their investigation.

Hamilton’s body was found at about 11:30 p.m. in a dumpster in the 1900-block of Curlew Drive, between two apartment buildings.

Sgt. Nestor Baird of the Kamloops RCMP’s serious crime unit said Hamilton went by the nickname of “Monster” and was a transient resident in both Kamloops and 100 Mile House.

Baird said police are interested in any information related to Hamilton’s recent movements or anyone who recognizes him and saw him around their neighbourhood.

“Collecting as much information as possible from the days leading up to his death will help us timeline his last movements as part of the investigation into what transpired,” Baird said.

Police are asking residents in the Valleyview area to review dash-cam or security camera footage to see if Hamilton was captured.

Police say the BC Coroners Service is also conducting an investigation and an autopsy is scheduled to help determine a cause of death.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 and reference file 2023-13551.

The dumpster in which Hamilton’s body was found is one that is often used by the area’s homeless population to search for items, according to a resident who lives in the area.

Bob Wong and Catherine Phillippe, who live across the street from where the body was found, were surprised to hear the news.

“Crime so close to me, that’s a first,” Wong told Kamloops This Week , noting he has seen some “shady”-looking people who hang out in the parking lot.

“There’s homeless people going through that [dumpster] all the time,” Wong said, adding he was home all day on April 20 and did not notice any unusual activity in the neighbourhood.

“It was pretty peaceful, as usual,” Wong said, noting he had his curtains drawn. He said there are a few “shady motels” nearby, but added he has not had any issues with crime in the two years he has lived in the neighbourhood.

Philippe said she did not notice anything untoward in the neighbourhood on Thursday, but added she did see a suspicious person around the dumpster across the street on April 17.

“I noticed a man who kept walking to the dumpster and looking in and climbing in,” Phillippe said.

She said she was folding laundry at the time and looked out her bedroom window to see the man, who appeared to be in his 60s, walking back and forth from the dumpster in the parking lot, pulling a small travel suitcase.

“Then he climbed out and kept checking around the area, walking back and forth,” Phillippe said.

She said she assumed he was a homeless man looking for bottles, but noted she did not see him grab anything from the dumpster. She said he was in the area for about an hour before leaving.

The dumpster is located directly behind the Lamplighter Motel, which BC Housing purchased recently to maintain as a shelter for the homeless population.