Youth faces murder charge

The brutal 2011 murder of John Kwiatkowski was the result of a "random break-and- enter" and an "unprovoked attack," Edmonton police said Thursday.

At a news conference at police headquarters, police announced they have arrested a young offender who is currently serving time in a Saskatchewan correctional facility for an unrelated offence.

The man, who police say was a youth at the time of the killing, was charged Monday with second-degree murder and break-and-enter with the intent to commit an indict-able offence. Police refused to release the man's age, citing investigational reasons, and would not elaborate.

At the time of the murder, he was unlawfully at large after escaping from a Saskatchewan open-custody youth facility and a Canada-wide warrant had been issued for his arrest. He had been in Edmonton a few days when he allegedly attacked Kwiatkowski.

"John was the victim of a random break-and-enter and an unprovoked attack in his own home," homicide Det. Colin Derksen said. "John was a dedicated family man who worked hard and contributed to society in this city, and it's truly a tragedy that he would become a victim of such a senseless crime."

The lifeless body of Kwiatkowski, 29, was discovered by his wife on April 14, 2011, when she returned to their Rundle Heights home around 6: 15 a.m. after working a night shift. Police have never released his cause of death. Derksen said the home had likely been left unlocked overnight, describing the killing as a crime of opportunity.

The couple's two-year-old daughter was home when her father was killed.

"Based on her injuries, it's obvious she was present at some point during the attack and witnessed something," Derksen said Thursday.

A family member told the Journal the girl suffered a bruise to her face in the attack.

In February, police released a video they produced that detailed evidence related to the crime in the hope for further help from the public.

On Thursday, Derksen said a combination of forensic and witness evidence helped solve the case.

At the time, police said they believed more than one person was involved in Kwiatkowski's violent murder. On Thursday, police said they are not actively searching for more suspects.

"The available information suggested that more than one person may have been involved in John's murder, and although this remains a possibility, I can say that we're satisfied that the person we arrested and charged was responsible for John's murder," Derksen said.

While many items were stolen from the home at 3408 103rd Ave., police said the killer also left several clues including a can of Canada Dry ginger ale.

In the days following Kwiatkowski's death, police asked neighbours to be on the lookout for a white purse with a wallet inside, which was taken from the home. Other items taken from the home were discovered in a stolen red Jeep Cherokee, which police recovered, including a pair of white Nike high-top sneakers stained with Kwiatkowski's blood.

In April, police said they had identified several "per-sons of interest" in Alberta and Saskatchewan after they recovered four stolen vehicles they believed were linked to Kwiatkowski's death.

Based on the location and timeline of each theft and recovery, police said "at least one of the persons involved in the homicide" used the vehicles to travel from Regina to Saskatoon, then to Edmonton, a few days before Kwiatkowski was killed.

The case shares similarities with the August 1994 slaying of Edmonton mother Barb Danelesko, 36, who was stabbed by a 16-year-old during a home invasion.

Sonny Head was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced as an adult. He was paroled in 2003, but was sent back to prison for three violations by 2008. He was denied parole last July.

The man charged with Kwiatkowski's murder remains in custody in Saskatchewan. Police said he will be transferred to Alberta to stand trial.

A date for his first court appearance has not yet been scheduled, police said.

mibrahim@edmontonjournal. com

Twitter.com/miriam_di

Read More @ Source



Criminal Stories Here

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Homicide victim found at vacant Everett house

Image
EVERETT -- Police on Wednesday were canvassing the View Ridge-Madison neighborhood in Everett after a man was found dead there the night before. A neighbor spotted the man on the ground outside a vacant house at 22 Madison St. He called 911 about 6:20 p.m. The man had obvious signs of trauma to his torso, police said. He looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s. The Everett Major Crimes Unit is investigating the death as a homicide, Lt. Robert Goetz said. Detectives declined to say more about how they believe the man may have died. There are no identified suspects or motives. Detectives received a search warrant around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday and collected evidence at the scene. They returned Wednesday afternoon to look for clues in the daylight, Goetz said. The victim's identity had not been determined as of late Wednesday afternoon. The body was turned over to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office. Anyone with information is asked to call 425-257-8450. Rikki King: 425-
Keep reading

Manslaughter charges possible in boy's death

Image
Published: Thursday, August 23, 2012, 5:55 p.m. MONROE -- Detectives believe a 7-year-old Monroe boy's parents should face second-degree manslaughter charges in connection with his January overdose death. Monroe police this week wrapped up their probe into the boy's Jan. 30 death and forwarded the case to prosecutors to decide if his parents should face criminal charges. Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Lisa Paul likely will begin reviewing the case in the coming days. She doesn't expect to make a charging decision in the near future, however. "It's quite an extensive investigation, and I want to review it thoroughly before I make any decision," she said. The boy, identified as "A.J." in court papers, ingested a lethal amount of salicylates, a chemical common in aspirin and other over-the-counter drugs. The medical examiner declined to conduct an autopsy on the boy, making it difficult to determine how the drug ended up in the boy's system. A
Keep reading