Man stabbed on Hamilton Mountain dies of injuries

A 42-year-old man stabbed on the Hamilton Mountain Sunday morning has died of his injuries, marking the 17th homicide case in the city this year.

Michael White was a lifelong Hamilton resident who leaves behind two children, aged 24 and 16, and a two-year-old grandson and three-year-old granddaughter.

He is deeply missed by his family and friends," Hamilton police said in a statement Thursday morning. His family are requesting privacy at this time as they grieve the loss of their son, father and grandfather."

In a Facebook message to The Spectator, White's cousin Krystle Fleming said he loved his family and will be deeply missed by the people that knew him."

The 42-year-old was legally dead Monday, but police waited to announce the homicide until his body was prepared for organ donation, which happened Wednesday evening, said Det. Sgt. Steve Bereziuk of the major crime unit. An autopsy was expected Thursday.

White was found with multiple stab wounds after collapsing on the road on East 27th Street, near Concession Street, around 6 a.m. Dec. 13. In hospital his condition deteriorated and by 6 p.m. that night homicide investigators from the major crime unit took over the case. He was never able to tell police what happened.

Detectives are searching for two men seen getting out of a blue Kia Soul just before the stabbing, Bereziuk said.

That same vehicle fled southbound on East 27th after the stabbing and was located by police Dec. 14 in Hamilton. Police have not recovered the weapon, and are awaiting a warrant to search the vehicle.

Sometime during the evening before he was stabbed, White had been at a nearby unit at 825 Concession St.- a walk-up apartment building. That's the same apartment where police allege a woman was confined and assaulted with a weapon overnight Saturday to Sunday. Her injuries were not life-threatening and the two incidents are being investigated separately.

In the woman's assault, police are seeking 29-year-old Angelo Miller, from Hamilton. He is wanted on four counts of assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, uttering threat to cause death and two counts of fail to comply with probation.

The female victim fled the apartment and called police from east Hamilton - that is why east-end divisional detectives are leading the investigation in that case.

Bereziuk said he couldn't comment on what happened inside that apartment, as it's evidence in the assault case. However, White, Miller and the unnamed female victim knew each other and were all in the apartment at the same time, he said.

White left the apartment around 5:30 a.m. and walked to a nearby store to buy food.

He was in no hurry," Bereziuk said, adding that White was casually walking south on East 27th when the SUV pulled up.

He was stabbed multiple times and then tried to run back toward Concession, when he collapsed on the roadway.

It is not clear if the attack is related to what happened inside that Concession apartment, or whether the timing is a coincidence.

Police have released a limited description of the two men seen exiting the Kia:

• A 20- to 30-year-old man with a medium complexion;

• A man, of unknown age, with a medium to dark complexion.

Bereziuk would not say whether one or both men are believed to have stabbed White.

White's family told police he was an avid card collector, especially hockey cards. He also liked playing card games and was well-loved by his family.

But White also had a troubled side and was well-known to police. He had an extensive criminal record and was frequently in and out of jail.

According to The Spectator's archives, this included being charged in a case where a woman was held captive inside a central Hamilton home and beaten with a metal pipe.

In October 1996, he permanently injured a police officer after running a red light in a stolen car. He was later convicted of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

With White's death, there are now 17 homicide investigations in Hamilton in 2020 - a record high. The 16th homicide was the discovery of remains at the Windermere Basin Park, later identified as Jammar Allison, who was abducted from an Etobicoke parking lot on June 1, 2018. While he's not believed to have been killed in 2020, his death is still counted in this year's police statistics because the investigation began in 2020.

Over the last 30 years, there have been 16 homicides twice, in 1999 and 1995. There were 13 homicides last year. The spike in cases is in addition to attempted murders and other cases where the major crime unit is called to investigate.

Detectives continue to investigate White's death, including going through surveillance video in the area. Police said witnesses on East 27th Street have been co-operative.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Geoff Burbidge at 905-546-2288.

To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.crimestoppershamilton.com.

Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com-With files from Fallon Hewitt, The Hamilton Spectator