Coyote Kills Toronto Singer/Songwriter In Cape Breton

Taylor Mitchell, a Toronto-based singer/songwriter, died earlier Wednesday (Oct. 28) in Halifax after being attacked by a coyote in Cape Breton during a Maritime tour. She was 19.

The Cape Breton Post reports Mitchell succumbed to her injuries at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Halifax. An RCMP detachment in Cheticamp, Cape Breton received a 911 call on Tuesday (Oct. 27) from a hiker who saw Mitchell — who apparently had been hiking alone — attacked by two coyotes on the Skyline Trail, a favorite hiking trail located in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Reports indicated she had bite wounds all over her body.

One of the coyotes was shot, but its body has not been found. A second coyote escaped into the woods.

Mitchell was slated to perform at Maxwell's Pub in Sydney, N.S. this evening with the tour slated to conclude in Charlottetown on Nov. 7 with stops in Halifax and New Brunswick also confirmed.

An Oct. 19 MySpace blog entry revealed Mitchell attended the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals in Ottawa this month, which she described as a "72 hour non-stop party."

"In the end, we're all in this together, and these late nights spent having fun and doing what we love affirms this, year after year," she wrote.

Judging by her Facebook page the musician also seemed quite excited to hit the road behind her album, counting the days until the trek was to start in various posts.

Mitchell — who received praise from singer-songwriters such as Lynn Miles and Justin Rutledge — had a CD release party in Toronto last March at Hugh's Room for her debut album For Your Consideration on Back Road Tavern Productions. According to her SonicBids page, the album was recorded in a five-day span in Toronto in "an organic, live-off-the-floor fashion."

Mitchell's MySpace site described her sound as "A bohemian rodeo star who grew up reading E.E. Cummings and listening to Led Zeppelin."

Various musicians on Twitter earlier today addressed Mitchell's passing, including the Forest City Lovers.

"How shocking and saddening to hear about the tragic death of Taylor Mitchell," the band tweeted. "Our condolences to her family."