MOUNT PEARL, N.L. — A 14-year-old boy is facing a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of a woman last week in Mount Pearl, N.L., police said Tuesday.
Const. James Cadigan, of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, confirmed in an interview that the boy and the 65-year-old woman were known to one another, but he wouldn’t release details about their relationship because of the suspect’s age and privacy concerns.
The police spokesman said the boy, who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was arrested late Monday and was to appear in provincial court later Tuesday.
Cadigan also wouldn’t say how the woman died.
“We are carrying out interviews and canvassing the community and we want to ensure we’re not compromising the integrity of this investigation, so we’re not disclosing any further details at this stage,” he said.
But he added that police were looking for a blue plastic recycling bag that was believed to be discarded near the suburban St. John's home where the woman's body was found.
“We do believe that this blue bag is related to this investigation," said Cadigan. “We want to fill out the details and we want to locate this bag and determine whether it’s valuable to our investigation.”
Local residents were being asked to check their properties and garbage bins and were also being asked by police to submit any relevant security or dashcam video from the area.
Police found the woman after being called to a home on Smallwood Drive on Thursday, and the medical examiner determined her death was a homicide.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2023.
The Canadian Press
