4 people arrested in connection with northwest Alberta murder: RCMP

Four people from three separate communities were arrested this week in connection with a murder months after a group of hunters found the victim’s body in northwestern Alberta, RCMP said.

Police charged one of the suspects, a 32-year-old man, with second-degree murder. According to a press release issued Saturday night, the other three were charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault.

Fairview RCMP received a call in late May after four bear hunters found a body dumped in a “remote area,” the release said. An RCMP spokesman could not provide an approximate location where the body was found, but said it was within Fairview Ward Jurisdiction.

The investigation was taken over by the RCMP’s Major Crimes Investigation Unit with assistance from the Fairview Detachment, the release said.

An autopsy within days determined the cause of death to be homicide, the report said, and the victim was identified as a 54-year-old man from Manning, Alta., about 460 kilometers northwest of Edmonton.

Later, the investigation moved to the Peace River region. The local unit began to assist the department of investigation of serious crimes, it is said in the message.

Then, this week, RCMP made four arrests in connection with the killing — nearly five months after the investigation began, according to the release. An RCMP spokesman said none of the hunters who found the victim’s body are among those charged.

The four suspects come from three different communities, the report said. One from Manning, where the victim lived. Another lived in Fairview — about 140 kilometers southwest of Manning — and two residents of Berwyn, Alta., about 95 kilometers south of Manning.

The 32-year-old accused of second-degree murder lived in Berwyn, the report said.

According to the Criminal Code of Canada, second-degree murder is generally premeditated murder that was not premeditated. However, there are circumstances in which someone can be charged with first-degree murder even if the killing was not intentional, such as when an on-duty police officer is killed, or when the killing is committed during a terrorist attack or sexual assault.

All four accused were remanded in custody after posting bail, the report said.

They are scheduled to appear virtually in Alberta Court in Peace River, Alta., on Monday, the release said.