REGINA, Sask. -- Police may have found the last known address of a Winnipeg man who was emaciated, burned and beaten when he was dumped at a Regina hospital after being missing for a couple of months.
The landlord at the Regina apartment building confirms he rented a suite in mid-March to a man who gave the name Dustin LaFortune.
A man who lived below the suite says he regularly heard disturbing sounds coming from the suite.
"Initially there was a moaning coming from upstairs and then after that I started to hear banging noises, like hitting noises, I describe as flesh-on-flesh sound, it's kind of unmistakable and that's when I turned on my phone," said Dann McKenzie.
On the recording a man is heard yelling, "open your eyes," then a bang is heard. The voice yells again, "open your eyes."
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McKenzie called the landlord and told him about the recording.
"He said he spoke to the guy upstairs and then it got quiet, it did, it really got better... so I dropped it."
LaFortune was reported missing in January. He was barely recognizable when he was dumped at the hospital April 16.
Regina police confirm they were at the apartment, but won't say why. They have yet to publicly confirm LaFortune's identity, give any details or name any suspects.
They issued a news release which said a 26-year-old man had been assaulted and dropped off at the Regina General Hospital's emergency department April 16.
They said the case is being investigated by the major crimes unit, and the victim has been interviewed.
LaFortune's relatives have started a Facebook page with photos of him lying in a hospital bed with burns, bruises and cuts on his body.
He moved to Calgary from Winnipeg two years ago to work for a moving company and disappeared in February. The LaFortune family took to the Internet and started approaching media outlets. They appealed for help in finding the missing man and tried to verify reports that he had moved to rural central Alberta.
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They are now using the Internet to encourage people with information to talk to police. They're also asking for help in locating the man they believe put LaFortune in critical condition.
He "was held hostage, tortured, starved, repeatedly assaulted and mutilated" while being drugged, his mother Renee LaFortune writes on the Facebook page. She says one of his lips and his tongue were cut off, his weight dropped to 87 pounds from 245 pounds and he has suffered brain damage.
They have named and put up a photograph of the man they believe attacked LaFortune -- they say he is a former roommate -- and have talked online and in media interviews about what they believe happened.
Supporters have added to the discussion by putting up photos of a home rented by the man the family believes was the attacker. One supporter posted information about the alleged suspect's family tree. LaFortune's brother, Ryan, has started answering questions from supporters in an online forum.
