Police investigate suspicious death of well-liked Ottawa physiotherapist

Friends and family of a well-liked local physiotherapist are grappling with his unexpected death after his body was discovered Tuesday near the rural community of Navan in east Ottawa.

Kyle Andrades, 35, was found dead Tuesday night at a commercial property on Tenth Line Road south of Brian Coburn Boulevard.

Police say his death is considered suspicious and the homicide unit is investigating.

Andrades was born in the Ottawa region and had a master's degree in physiotherapy, according to a biography on the website for the Renfrew Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Centre, one of his employers.

His main clinic was Get Physical Physiotherapy on Shefford Road in the city's Gloucester neighbourhood.

"He loved people [and loved] to help them heal faster," said his father Oscar on Wednesday. "That was his mantra, actually: that he could heal somebody in three or four days."

On Wednesday morning, a police vehicle was parked outside a property south of Sweetvalley Drive, about 20 kilometres east of Ottawa's core. Police tape was strung up outside.

It was clear something was wrong, Oscar Andrades told CBC, when one of his son's friends came by Tuesday and told him that Kyle hadn't showed up for work and he didn't know where he was.

Oscar Andrades said he and Kyle's mother Martine filed a missing person report with Ottawa police that evening. Then overnight, officers came by and told them they'd found Kyle's body.

He said he had "no idea" what could have happened, noting his son didn't use drugs and — thanks to a steady stream of physiotherapy clients — didn't have money problems.

"Why did they hurt him?" he wondered. "He was such a nice person. He was there ... to help people."

No arrests announced

The body of Kyle Andrades was found around 10 p.m. Tuesday night at the commercial property, said Staff Sgt. Jeff Pilon with the homicide unit.

Police haven't said how Andrades ended up there, but Pilon said it was unlikely he owned the building.

I don't know what to expect any more. I always looked up to Kyle.​​​​​​- Oscar Andrades

"We're only 13 hours into this investigation," he said Tuesday. "We've turned over a lot of rocks and stones so far and spoken to a lot of people, but we still have a fair amount of people to [still] speak to."

As of late Wednesday afternoon, police had not released any information about suspects or arrests.

'A void in my body'

In messages of condolences left on Andrades's Facebook page, several people spoke about how he was both a talented physiotherapist and a laid-back, happy-go-lucky person.

"[He was] just a super, super nice guy," said Nathalie Bergeron, who lived in the same multi-unit house as Andrades.

"He was always laughing, always in a good mood. Everything was always wonderful."

In a statement on its own Facebook page, the Renfrew Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Centre called Andrades a "bright light" who "positively impacted the lives of many individuals within our community."

"His kind heart, sense of humour and passion for helping others will be greatly missed," they said. "We extend our deepest condolences to Kyle's family, and request privacy and understanding from the community as we process this tragic loss."

Andrades's father recalled how his son loved food and hanging out with his friends, and his apartment unit was lined with "tons and tons" of movies.

"I feel a void in my body," Oscar Andrades said. "I don't know what to expect any more. I always looked up to Kyle."