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Puzzling death of Oak Bay man re-examined after nine years

New information returns police to case of Owen Padmore

Oak Bay police investigators worked through the weekend on new information relating to a decade-old death in the community.

Owen Padmore, who lived in central Oak Bay, died Dec. 11, 2001. Internal head injuries caused Padmore, 31, to be taken to the hospital the day before.

At the time, police didn’t suspect foul play and ended their investigation.

“We have to take a look at what that (new) information is and see if it changes our outlook at all,” said Deputy Chief Kent Thom.

At the time, reports suggested Padmore’s injuries were similar to those consistent with a backward fall, sustained sometime during the two days before his death. He had no open wounds.

Thom said the refreshed investigation “is not a simple thing at all,” but did not provide details on the new information.

In December 2001, the Oak Bay News reported Padmore had been watching TV at his mother’s house the the 1600-block of Hampshire Road. Sometime around midnight, he left the house and returned before 1 a.m.

Back at the house, he was “crashing around.” He told his mother he’d fallen and hit his head. She called an ambulance and he was rushed to Victoria General Hospital. That’s when police were called.

ecardone@vicnews.com