Corpse left hanging out of a window

[azathoth777]

Inner-city dwellers are rallying to the defence of a "religious crackhead" accused of killing a man whose bloodied corpse was left hanging out of a third-floor window for more than 12 hours.

Eugene Michael Falle, 32, who goes by the nickname "Preacher," faces second-degree murder charges in the Sunday night slaying at his suite in Wyser Manor, 9518 102A Ave.

"Preacher just did what he had to do, I guess," said Laura Faithful, who identified herself as Falle's "street mom."

"I really stand up for Preacher. He saved my life once. I was in a predicament and he brought me into his place and talked to me all night."

Police were called to the bizarre scene at 9:40 p.m. Sunday and found a dead body protruding head-first from a third-storey window.

Cops said the other man in the suite initially barricaded himself inside and refused to come out, then went outside and stood on a ledge of the building. Witnesses said the man was yelling and acting erratically as he paced along the ledge.

Police made contact with him from the ground and when he clambered into an adjacent suite, they subdued him with a stun gun and took him into custody.

Falle, who battled drug addiction, was known as Preacher because he would recite verses from the Bible and tried to help people by spreading the gospel, said his friends.

"He was a crackhead, but he was a religious crackhead," said one man, who refused to give his name.

In recent days, Falle felt someone was out to get him and had started carrying a knife around at all times, the man said.

Residents described Wyser Manor as a hotbed of illegal drug activity.

"This is the headquarters for all of the junkies and all of the drug dealers in this part of the neighbourhood," said Wyser Manor resident Warren Helmers.

Wayne Spear, rental manager of Gateway Inn and Hotel next door, described the building as a "war zone."

"I just wish they'd close it down."

The $1.2 million, fully-renovated Wyser Manor opened last March with a $925,000 grant from the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund. Building owner Terry Draginda put in the rest.

The suites are designated for people who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

The name of the victim, the city's 26th homicide victim of the year, was not released, nor was the cause of death.