Hamilton man charged with 2nd-degree murder in suspicious death last year

Hamilton police have charged a man in connection with a suspicious Upper James Street death that happened just over a year ago.

Brent LeFrancois, 39, of Hamilton has been charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a body.

This is the first time since the body was discovered last year that the victim has been identified.

Officers have identified 43-year-old Adam Parrish to be the man found in a field behind an abandoned building at 1452 Upper James St. on July 6, 2024.

Police say Parrish was found near a piece of plywood.

According to Parrish’s obituary, he was a carpenter and a framer by trade, and is remembered with a good sense of humour and a good heart.

In the release from Hamilton police, they say they did not receive the full autopsy report until recently, which was when they concluded Parrish had not died of natural causes and that they needed to pursue criminal charges.

Officers did not say how Parrish was killed, or if there was a relationship between Parrish and LeFrancois.

“That is still under investigation,” said Cst. Trevor McKenna with Hamilton Police Services regarding the relationship between the two men. “But I can say, the deceased was not living at that residence.”

“At the moment, we believe the body had been there for a few days, and the person did expire at that location,” said McKenna.

Anyone with further information related to this investigation is asked to contact Det. Lindsay Filice at 905-546-2288.

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