Bonnyville RCMP confirm man and woman charged in homicide investigation

Victim Identified as Alfred Wagner

Police have made two arrests in relation to their investigation into the death of an elderly  Bonnyville resident and have charged  a man and a woman with first degree murder.

The victim has been identified as Alfred Wagner (83) of Bonnyville.  His body was discovered in his home on the afternoon of Sunday, October 16, 2016, launching an investigation by the Bonnyville RCMP Detachment and the RCMP’s Major Crime Unit – North from Edmonton.

On Tuesday, October 18, 2016, Frank James Frenchman (25) of the Bonnyville / Kehewin area, was arrested near Edmonton and charged with one count of first degree murder.  He is to be appear in provincial court in Bonnyville on Wednesday, November 1, 2016.

Arizona Chastity Frenchman (20), also of the Bonnyville / Kehewin, area, was arrested last night in Edmonton and charged with one count of first degree murder.

Police can confirm that this was a random act and that there does not appear to have been any previous relationship between the accused individuals and the victim, Alfred Wagner.

The police are not seeking any other persons in connection to this case at this time.

 

The RCMP would like to thank the media and public for their assistance in this investigation and advise that additional information will not be available from police given that this matter is before the court.

*Press Release from the RCMP 

Background

Sunday, October 16th, at approximately 1:27 P.M., members of the Bonnyville RCMP Detachment were dispatched to the suspicious death of an elderly man at residence within the town.

Police arrived at the residence and found a deceased man within the home.  The scene was secured and the RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit – North (MCU-North) from Edmonton was contacted and assumed carriage of the investigation.  The home is being processed by investigators and members of the RCMP’s Forensic Identification Section (FIS) as they gather evidence to determine the circumstances which led to the man’s death.

The man has been identified tentatively but confirmation of his identity, as well as the cause and manner of death, will be made at an autopsy which has been scheduled for tomorrow at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Edmonton.

In the meantime, police are requesting the public’s assistance in locating a vehicle which is believed to have belonged to the deceased man and is missing from the Bonnyville residence.  It is described as follows:

–        1974 Dodge D200 pickup truck, light green in colour;

–        Large white and green canopy on the back

–        Bearing Alberta License plate # BES-165

Police confirm that the 1974 Dodge D200 pickup truck for which they had been looking as part of theirinvestigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a man who had been found deceased in his Bonnyville home yesterday has been located on the Kehewin Cree Nation, approximately 20 kilometers south of Bonnyville.

Information from the public is being sought by investigators concerning the movements of the truck in question on or between Sunday, October 16, 2016 and Monday, October 17, 2016, and they would like to hear from anyone who may have seen the vehicle.

An autopsy was conducted today at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Edmonton and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.  The RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit – North continues to lead the investigation. The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.