Man found dead with dog near Kamloops was victim of homicide, RCMP say

A photo of Mark Hoffman handed out by RCMP.

The death of a man whose body was found on a wilderness trail outside Kamloops earlier this week has been ruled a homicide, Mounties said.

The man has also been identified as Kamloops resident Mark Hoffman.

Police found Hoffman and his dog dead in the Logan Lake Community Forest on Monday afternoon. The green Ford Explorer he was driving was also found nearby. He was last seen leaving his Kamloops home about 24 hours earlier.

In a Thursday news release, the Southeast District Major Crime Unit said the homicide happened west of Highway 5, off Inks Lake Road, at the coordinates 50.616435, -120.478799.

“This clarification is important, as the initial news release generally identified the event as occurring near Inks Lake to the east,” police explained.

The unit released photos of the man and his dog in hopes they will spark someone’s memory.

“We are urging the public to assist in this investigation. We’re particularly interested in speaking with anyone who had interactions with Mark Hoffman on December 15 or 16, or anyone who was in the vicinity of the crime scene during that period,” said Insp. Brent Novakoski, a senior investigating officer with the major crime unit, in the release.

Anyone with information, “no matter how insignificant it may seem,” is asked to call the Southeast District Major Crime Unit’s tip line at 1-877-987-8477.

A photo of Mark Hoffman's dog handed out by RCMP.