Gay Canadian man’s death stumps British police

British police have issued a national appeal for information about a gay Canadian man whose body was found in a Manchester canal on Feb 24.

An autopsy revealed that Anthony Muise, 53, of Thornton, Ontario died of a single puncture wound to the chest. Police are treating Muise’s death as “unexplained,” while they try to piece together his final movements.

Police say Muise arrived in Britain in June 2009, and spent seven months travelling on an extended holiday, staying in various hostels and hotels. Police say they know “very little” about who Muise met during his travels, and they’re asking anyone with information to come forward.

Anthony Muise in an undated photo (police handout)

More from the Greater Manchester Police (GMP):

Anthony was gay and is known to have socialised in various gay
communities, including Manchester’s Gay Village and in Edinburgh. He
also spent time in London and Ripon, North Yorkshire….

Detective Chief Inspector Jon Chadwick, of GMP’s Major Incident Team,
said: “We’ve had a team of detectives working on this case, but
Anthony’s final movements and friendships have remained elusive….

“We know that he arrived in Manchester on 19 January 2010 as we have
CCTV images of him arriving at Piccadilly train station at 4.15pm….

“We are aware that Anthony inherited a significant amount following the
death of his mother in 2004 and he used this money to finance his
travels.

“He died from a puncture wound to the chest and we are keeping an open mind about how he came to be injured.

“We do know he had told family and friends in the months before his
death that he believed he had some kind of degenerative condition and
he did intimate that he may harm himself.”

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call GMP’s Major
Incident Team on 0161 856 1722 or independent charity Crimestoppers
anonymously on 0800 555 111.

More from the BBC:

One of Mr Muise’s friends, Karen Hawkins, 50, of London, Ontario,
said he was attacked in Manchester on a previous trip in 2008. It had
left him worried he had a degenerative brain condition.

“I went to visit him in Scotland in October 2009 and I could tell he wasn’t his old self,” she said. (read more at BBC News)