'Life-changing event' occurred before woman was shot, Edmonton police say in plea for info
Kelsey Ouellette experienced a "life-changing event" months before she was shot dead in central Edmonton, investigators have revealed, pleading for anyone with information about the event to come forward.
In an investigation update on Wednesday, police also released video of a white Toyota SUV that was seen in the area and around the time of Ouellette's death on Nov. 5.
Det. Jared Buhler would not describe the recent change in Ouellette's life in any greater detail.
"We're confident that the people who are aware of this event and the events surrounding it will understand what it is," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"Some of those people are likely, I believe, following the story closely in the media. We can't locate them at the moment, but we know they have information of relevance to the investigation."
He also confirmed, for the first time, that police believe Ouellette's death was targeted.
"Our investigation suggests it was a planned ambush against a defenseless victim."
Detectives could be seen in the area of 102 Avenue and 117 Street on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022 (CTV News Edmonton/Sean McClune).
WHITE SUV LINKED TO HOMICIDE
The 31-year-old woman who had lived in Edmonton for "several years" was found in a vehicle near Jasper Avenue and 116 Street, near where she lived, Buhler said. Police found her after receiving multiple calls about gunshots ringing out in the Oliver community.
Investigators are calling a white Toyota SUV that was seen in the area at the time a "suspect vehicle" and believe it is the same as a 2016 white Toyota Highlander that was found burning later that evening in the area of 259 Avenue and 18 Street, a rural area just within the city's northeast boundary.
Forensics will confirm the investigators' hypothesis.
According to police, the Highlander was stolen from northwest Calgary in August and, when found, featured an Alberta licence plate that was stolen from west Edmonton in early October: CKP5569.
The plate was ticketed by photo radar on Oct. 21 in the westbound lanes of Yellowhead Trail at 107 Street, leading police to believe the vehicle was in Edmonton for at least a few weeks prior to Ouellette's death.
A white Toyota SUV was seen near Edmonton's Jasper Avenue and 116 Street on Nov. 5, 2022. Kelsey Ouellette, 31, was found shot to death in the area that evening. (Photo provided by police.)
Buhler asked anyone – from community members who may have noticed the stolen SUV parked on their street, to someone who may have possessed it after it was stolen – to contact police.
"Understanding how that vehicle came to be in Edmonton, where it was in Edmonton, and how it may have ended up in the hands of someone who's willing to commit a violent offence like this is important to the investigation," he said.
"Someone may have given that vehicle to the shooter. They may have never known this was the intention. But now that you know the end result, my appeal to them is to do the right thing. We understand that people come in all shades of grey, and we're willing to look past that in this case to help bring some justice to this young lady's family."
Edmonton Police Service somewhat regularly finds vehicles burned after a shooting.
Edmonton police are investigating whether a 2016 white Toyota Highlander, found burning near 259 Avenue and 18 Street on Nov. 5, 2022, is the same white Toyota SUV seen near the scene of Kelsey Ouellette's homicide that same day. (Photo provided by police.)
Buhler called it a strategy typically associated with gang violence.
When asked if Ouellette's death was gang violence, he said, "All I can say in that regard is that there were people in Kelsey's orbit who are well known to police."
Ouellette, herself, was not known to police prior to being killed, Buhler added.
"I think it's fair to say this file is exceptional in that the victim appears to not necessarily been directly involved in criminal activity herself, but was for some reason, targeted."
FAMILY'S STATEMENT
Buhler also read a statement on behalf of Ouellette's family:
"Our family's hearts are broken at Kelsey's death. There are no words to convey the experience of losing a loved one in the manner that Kelsey was taken from us. Our daughter was a beautiful, smart, and vibrant woman who loved life, family, friends, and children. We desperately need answers as to why she was taken from us. Kelsey will be forever missed and never forgotten. Our family will not be able to rest until her murder is solved. We urge anyone with information to contact the Edmonton Police Service."
Anyone with information about the vehicles, scenes, or Ouellette's personal life event, or who has dash cam or security footage from near the scenes is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.