RCMP have charged a 36-year-old man with first degree murder of his wife in Spruce Grove.
According to officials, police found 36-year-old Rienna Nagel’s body in a home in that city around 8 a.m. Saturday.
“At that scene we also took an adult male into custody and he remains in police custody,” Cpl. Colette Zazulak told CTV News.
Police have now charged Christopher Ray Nagel in the case.
“Typically first degree speaks to some degree of planning or premeditation. I don’t have the details to know if that is the case in this instance but first degree murder is certainly a very serious charge,” Zazulak explained.
She said the couple had five children but officers did not find any of the kids at home when they responded.
“We had dealt with them in the past. There were never any charges laid with respect to domestic violence,” she added.
“Unfortunately domestic violence is common everywhere. We see these domestic homicides all too often,” Zazulak said.
“It can be surprising for people when they realize that this is happening just down their street,” director of Edmonton’s Lorena Shelter Liza Sunley said.
“I think most people don’t understand that this happens all the time, every day and that domestic violence affects everyone.”
Sunley said that education and public dialogue were needed to shed light on domestic violence issues.
“These people, they love the person who is abusing them, so for us to be able to sit back and say ‘It is very easy for you to leave and get out of this relationship.’ it is very judgmental.”
She added that sometimes the victim does not want to leave the relationship and there was support for those individuals as well.
“They love them and they honestly believe that things are going to get better.
“It may be a matter of providing support for them to continue in that relationship but in a more healthy manner.”
Zazulak also said that police could assist victims of domestic violence find support.
“We have a lot of agencies that work together to support victims.”
With files from Amanda Anderson
