A sex offender found dead in his prison cell at Mission Institution on Friday is believed to be a homicide victim, according to RCMP.
The man was found unresponsive around 10:45 p.m. and paramedics were unable to revive him, according to Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Pound.
Assistant warden Brandon Banks released a statement identifying the deceased as Troy Squires, 39, who had been in prison since Jan. 17, 2006 for sexual offences.
Pound could not reveal the cause of death, but said an autopsy is expected to take place this week.
IHIT investigators are working with Mission RCMP and Corrections Canada.
Squires was serving time for forcible confinement, sexual assault, uttering threats to cause death/harm and assault with a weapon.
Mission Institution is a medium-security facility three kilometres north of Mission and houses about 260 inmates.