Penticton dad identified as murder victim; Police haven’t confirmed

PENTICTON – A former Fort McMurray, Alta., man living in the South Okanagan is believed to be the man police found murdered at a Penticton motel unit last week.

Police have not confirmed the name, but social media sources appear to confirm Darren Leadbeater as the man killed following an incident at the Golden Sands Resort on Lakeshore Drive, where police answered a call of shots fired in the early morning of June 4.

A Facebook page titled 'Fort Mac Youth Gone Too Soon' lists Leadbeater as having died June 4, 2015. Photos posted to Leadbeater’s Facebook page also show him at Golden Sands Resort.

Leadbeater’s Facebook page reveals few details about the man, other than listing his current hometown as Penticton, while his Twitter page lists him as a father of four. Photos place him at various locations along the Okanagan Lake waterfront as well as indicating he was an Edmonton Oilers fan. He appears to have been active in sports.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Dave Tyreman says he is waiting on the investigative team before releasing any further information and says he does not know when that could happen. We have unconfirmed reports Leadbetter's family have been secured by police. 

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.