Pair charged in homicide of Edmonton man more than a year after discovery of remains

Victor Roger Noel, 56, was last seen on Dec. 24, 2019, before Edmonton police reported him missing on Jan. 7, 2020. (Credit: Edmonton Police Service)

Edmonton police have charged a man and a woman in the killing of Victor Roger Noel, who went missing for more than two years before his remains were discovered last summer.

The Edmonton Police Service on Friday announced they arrested and charged Colin Lepretre, 31, of Edmonton on Nov. 15 with second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body in relation to Noel's death. Edmonton police also said they arrested Elizabeth Quinn, 28, of Vancouver in the case and subsequently charged her with accessory after the fact to murder and indignity to a dead body.

The remains of Noel, 56, were discovered in August 2022 about eight kilometres north of Camrose, Alta. He had been reported missing by the EPS on Jan. 7, 2020, after last being seen on Dec. 24, 2019.

An autopsy shortly after the discovery of the remains could not positively identify them.

A month later, the circumstances around the death led RCMP and EPS to surmise the remains were related to Noel's disappearance. In October 2022, Noel's identity was confirmed via DNA testing. Further testing by the medical examiner led to the confirmation on July 11 of his identity, and the cause and manner of his death: a gunshot wound by homicide.

"As detectives were still actively investigating the suspects in Mr. Noel’s disappearance, we chose to strategically deviate from our normal information release process," Staff Sgt. Rob Bilawey of the EPS homicide section said Friday in a media release.

"While this is not our preferred course of action, it assisted us in protecting the integrity of the investigation and ultimately resulted in the successful arrests of those responsible for his death."