Mounties lay charges against alleged serial killer of women

[admin]

Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

The Mounties have reported a major breakthrough
in their investigation of the multiple murders of women
in northern British Columbia.

(Family, friends and strangers gathered for a healing circle outside of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry to mourn three Prince George women, who police say was killed by the same man)

Murder charges have been laid in connection with the latest serial killings, alleged to have been the work of 21 year old Cody Alan Legebokoff.

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Photos+ ... story.html

(activist Cee Jay Julian (C) of Fort St. James, who was consoled by elders at the First Nations healing circle supporting the families of the missing and murdered women at the intersection of Granville and Georgia Streets Monday. Julian was reacting to the RCMP announcement Monday of new charges in the deaths of three northern B.C. women.
Photograph by: Ian Lindsay, PNG)
- - -
B.C. North District
3 Additional Homicide Charges Laid in Northern BC Investigation
2011-10-17

Statement issued by:
Insp. Brendan Fitzpatrick, E Division Major Crime Section

The RCMP is here today to announce that a series of homicide charges have been laid in connection with one investigation dating back to 2009 and two investigations from 2010.


Photo of suspect - Cody Alan Legebokoff

These charges are the result of a 10 month coordinated investigation called Project E-Prelude, a joint investigation led by investigators from the North District Major Crime unit and the Prince George RCMP Detachment Serious Crime Unit. It also involved extensive resources from around the province including investigators and support staff from the E Division Serious Crime Unit, Behavioral Science Group, the E Division Interview Team, Criminal Analysts and a number of specialized RCMP Forensic Laboratories throughout the country. Investigators also took the unusual step of utilizing a Forensic Specialist from the United States to examine specific aspects of the available evidence.

We can announce today that 3 counts of first degree murder have been laid against 21 year old Cody Alan Legebokoff (Click here for high-res photo http://bc.rcmp.ca/digitalAssets/27/27659_cody.JPG ) from Prince George in connection with the deaths of 35 year old Jill Stacey Stuchenko, 35 year old Cynthia Frances Maas, and 23 year old Natasha Lynn Montgomery. Legebokoff was arrested this past Friday at the Prince George Regional Correctional Center where he is currently awaiting trial in the November 2010 homicide of 15 year old Loren Donn Leslie from Fraser Lake, BC.


Photo of Jill StuchenkoJill Stuchenko (Click here for high-res photo http://bc.rcmp.ca/digitalAssets/27/27660_Jill_HR.jpg ) was a mother from Prince George. She was also a talented singer. She was reported missing to police on October 22, 2009. At the time, the Prince George RCMP conducted a missing persons investigation and sought the assistance of the media and the public to help find her. Sadly, her body was found on October 26th, 2009 in a gravel pit off Otway Road in the outskirts of Prince George, BC.



Cynthia Maas was also a mother. She was reported missing by her friends on September 23rd, 2010. Her family was also concerned because they had not heard from her over the course of several weeks. Despite numerous proactive policing initiatives on the part of the Prince George Detachment and North District Major Crime Unit, such as street checks, contact with various organizations and businesses and other search efforts, Cynthia was not found until October 9, 2010, when her body was discovered in LC Gunn Park, also in a remote area of Prince George.


Photo of Natasha Montgomery
Click here to go to the full size image
Photo of Natasha Montgomery
http://bc.rcmp.ca/digitalAssets/27/27665_Natasha_HR.jpg

Also a mother, Natasha Montgomery was originally from Quesnel, BC but had been living in the Prince George area. When she failed to connect with her family after a number of weeks, her friends contacted the RCMP to report her missing. She was reported missing the same day as Cynthia Maas. While her body has not been recovered, investigative findings have resulted in a murder charge in relation to her disappearance.

All four were women loved by their friends and family. All four were homicide victims. As a result of Project E- PRELUDE, all four of these murdered women have been connected to a single suspect.

We have spent the last 24 hours with members of the victims’ families and support services have been provided to help them through this difficult time. It was evident by our meeting yesterday; these women were all very vibrant, talented and loving. They were all mothers, daughters, and aunts and possess large extended familes who miss them tremendously. The families request privacy at this very sad time.

We also respect news of this development and the charges will be met with mixed emotions by the community. These are difficult and complex investigations that require a dedicated team of resources. This group and particularly the RCMP remain committed to ensuring justice is delivered.

While these cases are before the courts, I am limited to the amount of information or details I can provide at this time. However, I can confirm that in all three of these new cases investigators were assigned with first locating the missing person. Upon receiving the Missing Person Reports investigators were immediately focused on locating the women and gathering information as to their potential whereabouts. This consisted of a number of proactive policing strategies including street checks, designated patrols, targeting areas and people known to frequent areas these women were known to have attended. Extensive and immediate follow-up was conducted on potential sightings as well as a number of other investigative avenues. In fact, during this time at least one other woman was reported missing. The on-going investigation thankfully located her safe and sound in another city.

When they were located, in the cases of Jill Stuchenko and Cynthia Maas, the crime scenes were examined and the latest in forensic collection and analysis methods were used. In two of the four cases, this also included, as I mentioned earlier, utilizing a forensic specialist from Pennsylvania who utilized state of the art computer technology to forensically examine some of the evidence.


Photo de Loren Leslie
Over the course of the investigation a number of search warrants were executed at two Prince George residences associated to 21 year old Cody LEGEBOKOFF. The vehicle he was driving during the aftermath of 15 year old Loren LESLIE’s November 27, 2010 murder was also painstakingly forensically examined over the course of several weeks. It was a combination of many factors, along with a dedicated team of investigators that has brought us to the point where these additional three charges can be laid.

However, our investigation is not over. We do need the public’s help. In order to assist us with advancing our investigation, we are releasing a photo of Cody Alan Legebokoff and his vehicle.

Legebokoff is described as 21 years old, Caucasian male, 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing approximately 220 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. His vehicle is described as a Black 2004 GMC ½ ton pickup truck (click here for high res.http://bc.rcmp.ca/digitalAssets/27/27667_truck.jpg ). We also know that he was an avid user of social media and technology. Our investigation indicates he extensively utilized social media and on-line dating to correspond with friends, associates, potential girlfriends and others. He frequently used the on-line name of 1CountryBoy.

Photo of the black 2004 GMC 1/2 ton pickup truck

It should also been known that Mr. LEGEBOKOFF lived in Lethbridge, Alberta for a short time between June 2008 and August 2009.

We are asking anyone with any information, in particular between the time period of October 2009 and November 2010 to call a special Tip Line that has been established for this case. The number 1-877-987-8477 (TIPS)

We believe there are others out there that may have been in contact with LEGEBOKOFF or these victims and possess information that can assist our on-going investigation.

Released by:
"E" Div. Communications Services
Phone: 604-264-2929
Email: bcrcmp@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

RCMP News Release:
http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteN ... ntId=21421

[admin]

The Mounties say 35 yr old Cynthia Frances Maas (known as Cindy by family and friends) was one of the victims of a serial killer who they have charged with her murder.

Octobr 17, 2011

Statement by the Maas family:

Our family has come forward publicly to speak on behalf of Cindy and the importance of recognizing who she was as a person and to highlight the urgency to ensure safety for all women in our society. Cindy had a right to live, to overcome her struggles, to become strong, and to be the mother she wanted to be.

The programs in Prince George available for struggling persons are what brought Cindy to Prince George for help. Cindy was a social victim of disability, ethnicity, class, gender as well as suffering the greatest indignity as a victim of murder, she is a poster child for vulnerability in our society.

We would like Canada to strengthen the human rights of women, to provide policies and legislation which protect the vulnerable in our society. We are asking those in leadership to increase the funding for victims of violence, mental health and addictions.

Our family would like journalists to please refrain from highlighting gender and lifestyle descriptions as it numbs public empathy and detracts from focusing on the brutal murder, in essence it does not help to prevent further injustices against women.

We are concerned about all the other unsolved missing and murdered women.

Murders do not just harm families but our society is harmed as we forget and are numbed by senseless violence perpetrated against women portrayed as deserving of death.

Our family acknowledges society does not intend to harm the disabled through lack of opportunity, or the aboriginal through racism, or the female through classification and role distribution, but the harm is evident as women in Canada continue to struggle.

Our family would like to see police around Canada attain the resources they need to solve these crimes as they occur.

We would like to thank the investigative team from the RCMP detachment in Prince George who worked diligently and with great sensitivity to our families.

The Maas family

Details regarding the RCMP investigation and murder charges laid against 21 year old accused serial killer of women
viewtopic.php?p=13937#p13937

(Previously reported news about Cynthia Maas:
viewtopic.php?p=12064#p12064 )