Update
Courtorielle is set to appear for an election and plea in Edmonton Provincial Court June 4 at 9 a.m.
More tests are needed after an autopsy completed Tuesday failed to determine the cause of death of Billie Johnson, a woman whose body was found April 21 on a Bon Accord-area farm.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said it requires further testing due to the state of her remains.
Johnson, a 30-year-old Cree woman from Edmonton, was reported missing Dec. 28, 2020, four days after she was last seen. Her remains were found April 21 on a private farm several kilometres northwest of Bon Accord after an extensive investigation by Edmonton Police Service’s homicide detectives. DNA tests confirmed her identity.
“The outstanding and determined work of our homicide detectives is what led to this conclusion,” said Edmonton police Staff Sgt. Colin Leathem. “We had already gathered enough evidence to lay charges, but for the detectives leading this investigation, it was always about finding Billie and returning her home – giving her family the chance to observe their sacred cultural rites.”
Johnson’s family was escorted to the site to grieve and perform cultural rituals after police completed a search of the area.
Kenneth Courtorielle, 35, who was a suspect from the start of the investigation, was arrested Feb. 9 in St. Albert in connection with Johnson's death, and charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a body.
Johnson's sister, Kiara Omeasoo, said the mother of two and Courtorielle were in a relationship marked by violence.
Family and friends initially conducted their own investigation into the Edmonton woman's disappearance. Bear Clan Patrol, an Indigenous community watch group, along with hundreds of volunteers, helped the family search forests, ditches and farmers’ fields for the woman's body.
The family also hired a private investigator, put up posters, collected tips from social media and provided police with any information they received.
Edmonton Police Service thanked the Morinville RCMP, the RCMP Special Tactical Operations team, the volunteer search-and-rescue teams, and the landowner for assisting with the case.
Johnson leaves behind an 11-year-old son and a four-year-old daughter.
Courtorielle is set to appear for an election and plea in Edmonton Provincial Court June 4 at 9 a.m.
