Firefighters and emergency personal work at the scene after a home explosion happened in Mississauga, Ont., on Tuesday, June 28, 2016.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Police have identified the remains of a man removed from the wreckage of a Mississauga home explosion as that of Robert Nadler, the husband of 55-year-old Diane Page, whose body had been found at the site of the blast three days earlier.
Constable Mark Fischer of Peel Regional Police said Mr. Nadler was the same individual who had been convicted of second-degree murder in the 1979 killing of his best friend, Eric Pogson, after an argument over $800. Mr. Pogson's body was found a year later, buried in a forest down the street. Mr. Nadler was sentenced to life in prison in 1982 at the age of 21, and became eligible for parole after 10 years.
At a news conference on Thursday afternoon, Sergeant Josh Colley told reporters the investigation is being handled by the 12 Division criminal investigation bureau. Although the cause of the explosion is still unknown, there is no evidence pointing to suspicious deaths, and the homicide unit is not involved in the investigation at this point, police have said.
Handwritten letters, public records and neighbours' accounts point to a troubled life for the family connected to the home near Rathburn and Dixie roads, west of Toronto.
Reports said residents in the area found the papers, including a man's will, among falling debris. "Dear God, as of next week everything will fall apart for us," started one note detailing financial strife that was shared on social media. Police would not confirm the notes were linked to the obliterated house.
Irene Chow, who lives across from the Nadler home, recalled the family as "normal people."
"The landscape was maintained until a year or so ago," Ms. Chow said. "I think as soon as the older gentleman, the father, passed away, things seemed to deteriorate a bit."
In addition to the two people killed, nine others were injured in the blast that occurred at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, causing an evacuation of many homes in the vicinity. Police further reduced the restricted perimeter to 46 addresses on Thursday, allowing many residents to return home in time for what may be a sombre long weekend in the neighbourhood.
Gas company and restoration trucks lined the streets in Hickory Village, a small townhouse complex a block away from the blast site, helping some residents repair damage and restore utility services. Shattered windows, broken awnings and debris littered across yards cast a pall over the quiet neighbourhood, where residents are still shocked by the incident.
"We did not have really any social interaction, they kept to themselves and kind of stayed on the sidelines," said Barbara Castleberry, whose townhouse was directly behind the epicentre of the blast. She said the couple kept to themselves. "It makes you think about how somebody who's totally unrelated to you can influence the life of so many people," she added.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie urged affected residents to reach out at Burnhamthorpe Community Centre, and said the city would be providing details on utilities, shelter and community support.
An autopsy of Ms. Page was done on Thursday, but the results were not released immediately.