James Mills Tribute

James Mills, also known as Jimmy Mills, was beaten unconscious on Jan. 8 on 103rd Street and 103th Avenue. The 46-year-old, who came to Alberta from Quebec about a year ago, died Saturday in hospital.

Police think he was attacked by a group of men at about 8:15 p.m.

Just 15 minutes earlier, Greyhound bus station security cameras recorded Mills walking in and out of the station's south entrance on 103rd Street.

"It appears he was alone," homicide Det. Pete Draganiuk said Sunday.

Police don't think Mills rode on a Greyhound bus that night.

Just after Mills was beaten, two people driving by saw him lying unconscious on the sidewalk, surrounded by a group of men. They stopped to help Mills and called for an ambulance at 8:20 p.m.

Police have interviewed the people in the car, but they did not see the assault.

"We're looking for the public's help in trying to find out if there was anybody who witnessed an assault on this male," said Draganiuk.

"This was a busy intersection. We know that there was a lot of pedestrian traffic. We believe there was cabs going by. We believe there was buses going by. The parking lot (across the street) would have had people parking here and coming to their vehicles."

Draganiuk said the fight may have appeared brief and minor to people who witnessed it. Mills might have injured himself when he hit the ground.

"We understand it might have just simply been one punch, but until we speak to people that actually saw it, we'd be speculating."

Paramedics took Mills to the Royal Alexandra Hospital with serious head injuries. He was later transferred to the University of Alberta Hospital, where he died. He never regained consciousness after he was beaten, and police were not able to interview him.

"We believe that this male's passing is directly related to the injuries that he sustained in front of the Greyhound bus terminal," said Draganiuk.

Mills did not have a permanent address in Edmonton, and had been staying in shelters and hotels around the inner city, Draganiuk said.

"He has worked temporarily in different construction jobs. We know that he was struggling with some alcohol and perhaps drug-abuse problems, and we don't know the motive for the assault on him."

Police have tracked his whereabouts in the days leading up to the assault. "The police had some dealings with him, and I'm not in a position to explain what we were doing with him at that point."

Police released photos of Mills, and are asking anyone who saw anything suspicious that day to call in.

Officers think Mills died due to complications caused by his head injuries, but an autopsy is scheduled for later this week.

Mills is the second homicide victim in Edmonton in 2008.