Photo by Vince Fedorof
FIRE DEATH INVESTIGATED – Whitehorse RCMP are seeking the public's assistance to learn more of the circumstances surrounding the death of Gordon Tubman. his remains were found in the burned-out trailer shown above.
Lease forbade living on property
A man found dead in a fire at a Norcope Enterprises gravel pit was not allowed to reside on the property, according to an agreement the company has with the Yukon government.
A man found dead in a fire at a Norcope Enterprises gravel pit was not allowed to reside on the property, according to an agreement the company has with the Yukon government.
Fire crews discovered the body of 41-year-old Gordon Tubman last Sunday morning while cleaning up after a trailer fire at the site on Copper Haul Road near Fish Lake Road.
According to Whitehorse RCMP, Tubman was residing in the trailer as a caretaker at the time of the blaze.
Police believe Tubman died as a result of foul play, but maintain they cannot disclose evidence that led to that conclusion for fear it may compromise the ongoing investigation.
Norcope leased the property from the government for a number of years. When the lease expired in July 2009, the Whitehorse contractor was issued a licence of occupation until Sept. 30, 2010.
Ron Billingham, a communications analyst for the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, said Thursday there is no provision in the lease for a caretaker or residence on the property. The agreements only allow for gravel quarry operations, he said.
Furthermore, all infrastructure and equipment – including the trailer – should have been removed from the property by July 31 of this year to prepare for the land's restoration by the end of September, said Billingham.
Ordinarily, he said, if the department becomes privy to a lease infraction, employees visit the site to ensure the lessee is complying with conditions.
However, Billingham said, it's unlikely employees will be able to access the property any time soon due to the investigation by the RCMP "M” Division Major Crimes Unit.
"We're just going to have to wait and see what happens,” Billingham said.
Norcope Enterprises could not be reached for comment Thursday nor by press time this afternoon.
Investigators are seeking public assistance to determine Tubman's activities in the days before his death.
Tubman drove a black and white 2002 Ford F 350 truck with a black canopy.
Anyone with information about him is asked to contact the Whitehorse RCMP at 667-5555.
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