deadmonton - the murdered and the missing in the metro area
Charest Semenovich Pinzauti Cockle Alberts
Edmonton's 2008 murder meter officially stands at 12 -- total metro area count stands at 14
2008 Edmonton case status:
open: 10 charges laid: 2Ashley Charest
may 15th, 2008 -- shot in strip mall parking lot
Boyd Buzzing Mad Over Officer Swarming
may 12th, 2008 -- "Our police officers are not punching bags" -- Chief Mike Boyd
Thomas George Svekla - Trial
may 9th, 2008 -- Crown closes case, defence calls no evidence
Missing: Shirley Waquan
may 5th, 2008 -- RCMP think she may be in Edmonton
Alex Fred Semenovich
april 29th, 2008 -- found stuffed in rural incinerator
Suspicious Death In Garneau - Alex Pinzauti
april 26th, 2008 -- man found lying on doorstep
Cory Cockle
april 20th, 2008 -- stabbed in a Mill Woods back alley
Hans Alberts
april 16th, 2008 -- stabbed in broad daylight in busy shopping plaza
Edmonton Metro Crime Watch
the latest in ongoing murder investigations, trials, missing person files, cold cases
and other police matters--- the latest homicides ---
Ashley Charest | Alex Fred Semenovich | Cory Cockle
Charest Semenovich Cockle --- other recent homicide cases ---
Hans Alberts | Alan Craig Cumming | Sean Allan Kier
Alberts Cumming Kier --- old homicide files updated ---
Svekla Jones Hobart Smith Khanna Thomas George Svekla
may 9th, 2008 -- Crown closes case, defence calls no evidence
Judy Lynn Jones
april 18th, 2008 -- charges laid after seven-month long investigation of 2007 murder
Woman's Body Found In River Valley Identified As Missing Senior
april 13th, 2008 -- husband confirms identity
Debbie Elly-Smith
april 10th, 2008 -- charges laid in first homicide of 2007
Sangeeta Khanna
april 7th, 2008 -- police reveal clues in two-year-old missing persons case now considered a homicide
The April Crime Report
--- deadmonton index ---
other police matters | why Edmonton? | old case files | deadmonton archives
deadmonton 2008 | deadmonton 2007 | deadmonton 2006 | deadmonton 2005
background | project KARE | sources and related web sites | deadmonton site map
In 2005, Edmonton set its all-time one-year murder record with 39 deaths, more than one every 10 days.
In 2007, the city recorded 33 murders. There were 36 in 2006.All the information presented on this page has been compiled from published media reports and should not be interpreted as having legal bearing or other prejudice against the individuals named on this web site.
The Last Link on the Left practices fair presentation and the disclosure of relevant interests.
Edmonton Metro Crime Watch
The latest in ongoing murder investigations, trials, missing person files, cold cases and other police matters (in order of most recent update).
Ashley Charest
Police are investigating Edmonton's 12th homicide of 2008.
911 calls reporting shots fired started coming in at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning from the city's northeast.
Police arrived and found a 28-year-old man apparently dead from gunshot wounds in the parking lot of a strip mall near 139th Avenue and 26th Street.
Investigators are working with a vague description of the shooter and possibly two getaway cars. At present the gang unit is not involved in what police believe to be a targeted shooting, part of a drug deal gone bad and and not a random act of violence.
It was family who later told media the identity of the city's twelfth murder victim of the year was Ashley Charest. Autopsy results confirmed that he died from gunshots wounds to the chest » full details »
Edmonton had recorded 15 homicides at this time last year. In 2007 the city recorded a total of 33 murders. There were 36 in 2006 and 39 in 2005 – the year Edmonton set its record.
Boyd Buzzing Mad Over Officer Swarming
"Our police officers are not punching bags ... and neither are any of our citizens who are being attacked out there."
Those were the words of Edmonton police chief Mike Boyd in the wake of two incidents that saw his officers openly attacked by swarms of assailants.
While Boyd's anger and indignation during a press conference was meant to send a signal to like-minded perpetrators and the populace at large, it also indicated the chief's fear that respect for law and order had all but evaporated in the provincial capital » full details »
Thomas George Svekla
On May 9th, 2006 Thomas George Svekla was charged with second-degree murder and indecently interfering with human remains in connection with the death of Theresa Merrie Innes.
On January 2nd, 2007 Svekla was charged with second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a human body in connection with the death of Rachel Liz Quinney.
On February 19, 2008 Svekla's trial got underway and was expected to last until June.
On May 9th, 2008 – two years to the day after he was first charged with murder – the Crown closed its case and the defence called no evidence » full details »
Missing: Shirley Waquan
Fort McMurray RCMP asked Edmontonians to be on the lookout for a woman missing for ten months.
Forty-year-old Shirley Waquan was last seen in Fort McMurray, Alberta on July 1st, 2007 and was reported missing four days later. Family advised the RCMP the woman was living on the streets and may now be in the Edmonton area » full details »
Hans Alberts
Police continue to investigate Edmonton's tenth homicide of 2008 – the stabbing death of 77-year-old Hans Alberts.
Just before 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 16th Alberts and his wife were getting into their car in the parking lot of the Royal Fork Buffet in the Jasper Gates shopping centre. The couple had just finished celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary when a man approached.
A struggle took place and Alberts fell to the ground. Blood quickly pooled around him – the result of multiple stab wounds.
On Friday, April 18th police announced they had a "subject of interest" in custody. The next day the man was charged with second-degree murder. A week later the charge was upgraded to first-degree » full details »
May 2008 Crime Report
Boyd buzzing mad over officer swarming | full details and more on the May 2008 Crime Report page.
May 2008 Be On The Lookout For Report
Missing: Shirley Waquan | full details and more on the May 2008 Crime Report page.
Alex Fred Semenovich
On April 30th, 2008 Stony Plain RCMP laid charges of first-degree murder, interfering with human remains and accessory after the fact in the wake of the discovery of a man's body inside an incinerator.
Those charged in the murder of 77-year-old Alex Fred Semenovich were the elderly man's wife, daughter and grandson. That three generations of a single family were charged in connection with a murder was unprecedented in Alberta history.
Semenovich's body was discovered by a repair man called in to service the newly-acquired outdoor furnace » full details »
The Edmonton metro area had recorded two homicides at this time last year. Both 2007 and 2006 saw a total of 5 murders in the region immediately outside the city.
Suspicious Death In Garneau - Alex Pinzauti
A man opening his front door to pick up the morning paper saw himself looking at next-day headlines when he found a dying man lying near the porch of his house near 111th Street and University Avenue at about 7:15 a.m. Saturday, April 26th.
"He was alive but he was passed out on the stairs," the resident said. "He had no shoes and he was wearing a black shirt and pants and no undershirt."
Police found a pair of shoes and evidence of a struggle seven blocks away. In the end the death of 19-year-old Alex Pinzauti was deemed non-criminal » full details »
Public Alert: Larry Maxwell Stanford
A man who completed a 35-year sentence for hijacking an aircraft and attempted murder has been released into the community in Edmonton and police consider him to be a violent offender who continues to pose a risk of significant harm.
Larry Maxwell Stanford, 56, was convicted of hijacking Quebecair flight QB321 on December 14th, 1972. He was 21 years old at the time. Stanford was sentenced to 20 years in prison. While on parole he attacked his sister, hitting her multiple times in the head with a hammer and causing serious brain injury » full details »
Wanted: Gilbert John Jolicoeur
Winnipeg police issued a Canada-wide warrant for Gilbert John Jolicoeur, also known as "Fro."
Jolicoeur is wanted in connection with a stabbing death in Winnipeg and police feel he may be hiding out in Whitecourt, Fort McMurray, or in the Vancouver area – specifically in Whistler where he has associates. When caught, Jolicoeur would likely face manslaughter charges. » full details »
Near-naked Woman Found Dead
Police investigated a suspicious death in a neighbourhood adjacent to the City Centre Airport.
Emergency services were called to a home in the Prince Charles community at about 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23rd after a woman's partially-naked body was discovered lying face down in the snow of a backyard.
The woman was wearing only a pair of black underwear. The body was found by a man shovelling recently-fallen snow from a late-spring storm, the worst on record for the month of April » full details »
Missing: Edward Gordon Durston
Police have asked for the public's assistance in locating a senior missing since late fall.
71-year-old Edward Gordon Durston was last seen on November 21st, 2007 by the trustee responsible for releasing money to him. The senior reportedly suffers from dementia and has a problem with alcohol » full details »
Police Investigate Sudden Death of Infant
Authorities were called after a newborn baby was found dead in a south-side apartment. Police arrived at the 10th-floor unit of the Sir William Place complex, 8830 85 Street, at 9:24 a.m. on Monday, April 21st. Investigators initially treated the death as suspicious with homicide detectives assisting in the matter.
Police did not indicate why the death was considered suspicious. Paramedics who attended did not want to disturb the scene and instead called in police » full details »
Public Alert: Brent Edward MacDonald
Edmonton police are advising the public that 33-year-old Brent Edward MacDonald was released from the Bowden Institution and has chosen the city as his new place of residence. Police described MacDonald as an opportunistic sexual offender who poses a risk of significant harm to the community and specifically to females » full details »
Cory Cockle
Police are investigating Edmonton's 11th homicide of 2008.
At about 8:15 a.m. Sunday, April 20th emergency services were called to a home in the Mill Woods subdivision. A woman had discovered a body lying face down on the deck of her home near 40th Avenue and 61st Street. The body was covered in snow and was not moving.
On Monday, April 21st police announced that Cory Cockle, 25, died of a stab wound. Police suspect the victim knew his killer and the assault may have been drug related. A "subject of interest" was identified and interviewed by investigators » full details »
Edmonton had recorded 10 homicides at this time last year. In 2007 the city recorded a total of 33 murders. There were 36 in 2006 and 39 in 2005 – the year Edmonton set its record.
Missing: Jeannie Gingras
Police have asked for the public's help in locating an Edmonton woman missing since March 21st, 2008.
Jeannie Gingras, 49, was last seen at the Edmonton People in Need Shelter at 9549 103 Avenue. Gingras was reported to suffer from a mental illness and could pose a threat to herself if she is without medication » full details »
Judy Lynn Jones
Homicide detectives were first called to a suspicious death after a body was found inside a south-side duplex on September 12th, 2007. It was soon determined 45-year-old Judy Lynn Jones died of blunt force trauma.
Jeffrey Glenn Kellar, Jones' common-law husband, was taken in for questioning and later released.
Seven months later, on April 18th, 2008, Kellar was charged with second-degree murder » full details »
The Stony Plain Baby
RCMP are investigating the discovery of the body of a newborn baby found on an acreage northwest of Edmonton.
The Stony Plain detachment was notified at 6:57 a.m. on Wednesday, April 16th by a man walking his dog on a quad trail near Range Road 14 five kilometres north of the Yellowhead Highway.
The baby, found wrapped in a pink towel, was male and close to full term. There were no obvious signs of trauma and a cause of death has not yet been determined.
At last word RCMP had interviewed a female person of interest » full details »
Woman's Body Found In River Valley Identified As Missing Senior
Police investigated the death of a woman whose body was discovered on the morning of April 12th, 2008 in the river valley. The body was found near the High Level Bridge below Saskatchewan Drive.
The woman was later identified as missing senior Wyona Hobart, last seen December 28th, 2007 » full details »
Wanted: Tola Obafemi Falana
On July 30th, 2006 two masked men armed with long-barreled weapons robbed the Prestige Health Studio at 8402 Coronet Road. Tola Obafemi Falana was identified as one of the suspects and warrants for his arrest were issued.
Police consider Falana armed and dangerous and warn the public he should not be approached. He is wanted in Alberta for assault, possession of a weapon and 26 additional charges. Investigators believe that Falana is in currently Toronto but does travel back and forth between Edmonton and his home in Atlanta, Georgia » full details »
Alan Craig Cumming
Police continue to investigate Edmonton's ninth homicide of 2008.
At about 3:28 a.m. on Saturday, April 12th a man suffering stab wounds called police from the hallway of his apartment building at 12130 82 Street. The man was rushed to hospital with serious injuries and died several hours later.
Media outlets were first to identify the victim as 38-year-old Alan Craig Cumming who had just come home after driving a bus for a late-night pub crawl. Friends and relatives believed Cumming was attacked for his tip money » full details »
Debbie Elly-Smith
On January 8th, 2007 police found the body of Debbie Elly-Smith in an apartment suite in the Stollery Place housing project at 10554 96 Street in Edmonton's inner city. It was reported she may have been dead for several days.
On April 10th, 2008 police announced that second-degree murder charges had been laid against two persons known to Elly-Smith » full details »
Sangeeta Khanna
Nearly two years after 41-year-old Sangeeta Khanna mysteriously disappeared from a Mill Woods shopping centre police revealed they think she had been murdered and her body dumped along a rural highway that stretches from Edmonton to western Saskatchewan » full details »
April 2008 Crime Report
The Stony Plain baby | police investigate sudden death of infant | near-naked woman found dead | suspicious death in Garneau | full details and more on the April 2008 Crime Report page.
April 2008 Be On The Lookout For Report
Wanted: Tola Obafemi Falana | missing: Jeannie Gingras | public alert: Brent Edward MacDonald | missing: Edward Gordon Durston | wanted: Gilbert John Jolicoeur | public alert: Larry Maxwell Stanford | full details and more on the April 2008 Crime Report page.
Sean Allan Kier
Police continue to investigate Edmonton's eighth homicide of 2008 – the stabbing death of 23-year-old Sean Kier.
At about 1:28 a.m. Saturday, March 29th police responded to a weapons complaint outside the Coliseum Inn at 11845 Wayne Gretzky Drive Southbound.
Emergency medical services were called after a 23-year-old man was discovered lying on the pavement suffering from stab wounds. He was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival » full details »
Daniel Raymond McKenzie
Police continue to investigate Edmonton's seventh homicide of 2008.
Daniel Raymond McKenzie suffered fatal stab wounds early on Good Friday at the corner of 82nd Street and 124th Avenue. Police and EMS were called to the intersection at 4:30 a.m. by residents of a home who saw McKenzie stumble through the street bleeding profusely. They also witnessed two men flee in a small dark car.
By afternoon the next day police had located two persons of interest and had seized a Mazda automobile » full details »
Baby Doe
Homicide detectives and the medical examiner were called out to a home at 6912 130 Avenue on Wednesday, March 19th after reports came in of a baby being found inside a bag.
The discovery was made by a man whose dog alerted him to something odd in a basement bedroom. A baby was found in a white, plastic grocery bag, wrapped in towels and stuffed under a bed.
Police later charged Naomi Russel-Simpson, 20, with charges of committing an indignity to a dead human body, neglecting to obtain assistance in childbirth and concealing the body of a child. Authorities said the baby was born alive » full details »
Soldier Found Dead at CFB Edmonton
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Unit looked into the case of a man's death at the Edmonton Garrison on the same day another Edmonton soldier was buried.
The soldier's body was found in single living quarters at CFB Edmonton on March 15th, 2008 » full details »
Shernell Sharon Pierre
Police continue to investigate Edmonton's sixth homicide of 2008.
At about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12th Edmonton Fire Rescue were dealing with a car fire when they discovered charred human remains lying slumped in the driver's seat. Police were then called to the site on 170th Street south of West Edmonton Mall and an investigation began into what authorities initially termed a suspicious death.
After an autopsy was completed March 14th police announced they were treating the death of 26-year-old Shernell Sharon Pierre as a homicide. Three days later police described a person of interest in the case and issued photographs of a white van thought to be involved.
On March 29th Shernell Pierre was laid to rest » full details »
Visit the Last Link deadmonton archives page for other recent entries.
For more about murder cases that took place in 2008, visit the Last Link deadmonton 2008 page.
For more about murder cases that took place in previous years, visit the Last Link deadmonton 2007, deadmonton 2006, deadmonton 2005 and deadmonton - old case files pages.
For more police news and stories, visit the Last Link deadmonton 2008, deadmonton 2007, deadmonton 2006 and deadmonton 2005 other police matters pages.
Background
Edmonton's murder rate is a major concern to area residents and experts in the field are baffled to explain why the city is home to such a high number of homicides.
The nature of Edmonton's energy-related boomtown economy plays a significant role in the city's crime statistics. Good times often attract a transient population, and with the area's metro population now surpassing the million mark, the provincial capital is no longer the sleepy frontier town it once was.
Second-generation immigrants now make up a large percentage of Edmonton's inhabitants and gangster-lifestyle and youth-on-youth incidents are up in numbers from recent years.
To find out the reasons behind Statistics Canada's recent dubbing of the city as "the murder capital of Canada," visit the Why Edmonton? page.
Sources
Every effort possible is used to maintain the accuracy of information cited on the pages of this site. Numerous sources are used to collect news of homicides and police related matters and they are cross-checked to confirm details.
A full list of sources used to compile the entries on this web site can be found on the deadmonton - sources and related web sites page.
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19:45 2008-05-15.