Police Update On Weekend Murder

Thunder Bay Police say both the victim and the accused in the city’s most recent homicide were known to each other.

However, they want to clarify that it is not related to any recent drug activity in the city.

“This was two individuals who were known to each other, there was an interaction that occurred between the two of them at a residence…for all intents and purposes, a fight ensued, spilled out into the street and resulted in Mr. Young’s ultimate death.” says Detective-Sergeant Jason Rybak.

A post mortem is pending, however, Rybak says the victim 33 year old Cody Young had been stabbed during the altercation and was found on the side of the road on McKenzie Street, he was pronounced deceased at Thunder Bay Regional.

What is also known now is the incident isn’t restricted to one location. The first, where Rybak says the stabbing occurred was on McKenzie Street, the second was at a residence on Prince Arthur Boulevard.

Witnesses played a significant role in helping solve this murder quickly, who pointed investigators in the right direction and allowed members of the Emergency Response Team to take the accused, 24 year old Mathew James Scavarelli, into custody without incident at his home.

He’s been charged with second degree murder and has since been remanded into custody.

However, the number of murders and high profile incidents is beginning to take a toll from a human resources perspective.

“Regardless of, you know, it is a drug or a GTA related homicide it’s concerning the sheer number. I mean we’re getting to, we’re meeting with you folks [media] every three weeks at this point to talk about the deaths in the city, and we have to do something as a community to solve this problem because it’s very taxing.” says Rybak adding “we don’t have a breaking point, we can’t.”

We are the end for everything.
—Detective Sergeant Jason Rybak

From a human resources perspective, there are 240 officers with the Thunder Bay Police, 20, Rybak says are within the Major Crimes Unit. But cases can involve officers with other units within the service. Currently, an ask is before City Council, as part of the 2023 municipal budget, for an increase of 14 officers.