Edmonton
EPS charges man in 2002 homicide
Arrest made in historical homicide
The Edmonton Police Service Historical Crimes Section has charged one man in a 2002 homicide.
On May 9, 2002, police responded to the report of a body that was found under a bed in a home in the area of 99 Street and 86 Avenue. The following day, an autopsy confirmed the deceased male, Michael Thomas Longmore, 59, was the victim of a homicide. At the time, investigators lacked evidence to lay charges.
In January 2019, the EPS Historical Crimes Section opened a review of the file and resubmitted exhibits to the RCMP laboratory for forensic testing. The results of this testing identified a DNA profile that led police to a suspect.
On Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, police arrested Denis Laframboise, 66 and charged him with second degree murder in relation to Longmore’s death.
“This is exactly why we review historical homicide files,” says Staff Sergeant Ryan Tebb with EPS Historical Crimes Section. “While DNA testing at the time wasn’t sophisticated enough to identify a suspect, today’s technology has made it possible to do so, and hopefully bring a sense of resolution to the victim’s family.”
The EPS Historical Crimes Section was established in 2018 and consists of approximately ten officers who investigate historical homicides, missing persons and cold case sexual assaults. The four homicide detectives in the Section currently have a caseload of 202 unsolved homicides dating from 1938 to 2017. A full review of all historical files was initiated when the Section was formed to identify files where modern technology or investigative approaches may be able to shed light on a previously unsolved case.
News release from ALERT (The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team)
Nearly $2.5 million in drugs and cash was seized from a southwest Edmonton condo building. A warrant has been issued for an Edmonton man.
ALERT Edmonton’s organized crime team made the seizure on October 9, 2024 after searching an address in the Windermere neighbourhood. The Edmonton Police Service helped with the search warrant execution.
ALERT seized an estimated $2.3 million worth of drugs, which included:
- 17.7 kilograms of cocaine;
- 5.3 kilograms of MDMA;
- 950 grams of methamphetamine;
- 3.1 kilograms of ketamine;
- 5 kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms;
- 20,000 oxycodone pills;
- 4,705 illicit prescription pills;
- $41,000 cash.
ALERT searched the address following an investigation that dates back to June 2024. Investigators developed information about a high-level drug trafficker operating in the Edmonton area with a number of supply lines.
The drug seizure marks ALERT’s largest since a record bust earlier in the year. In August, 27 kilograms of cocaine were seized from a west Edmonton home. The two investigations are unrelated.
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Minh Nguyen. The 36-year-old Edmonton man is wanted on charges of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, possession of proceeds of crime, and possession of counterfeit money.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact police.
The investigation began in June 2024 after ALERT received information about a drug supplier based in the Edmonton area. ALERT alleges Nguyen was supplying other drug dealers in Edmonton and northern Alberta communities.
Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.
ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.
News release from the Edmonton Police Service
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has seized more than 66 kilograms of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and heroin in a large-scale drug investigation in central Edmonton.
In December 2023, members of the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement Section (EDGE) initiated an inter-provincial drug trafficking investigation.
During the investigation, three male suspects were noted to be involved in various aspects of inter-provincial drug trafficking, including transporting drugs into and out of Alberta, as well as distributing them throughout Edmonton, including the inner-city community. A storage location for the drugs was located in a central Edmonton high rise apartment.
On May 9, 2024, police executed search warrants at three residences and four vehicles. As a result of the search warrants, EDGE members seized:
- 55.7 kg of methamphetamine, worth approximately $250,650
- 8.7 kg of cocaine, worth approximately $696,000
- 2.5 kg of fentanyl, worth approximately $300,000
- 83.5 grams of heroin, worth approximately $28,400
- 20 kg of buffing agent
- Five handguns, three of which were loaded at the time of seizure and two of which had defaced serial numbers. Two were also reported stolen in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and one originated from the U.S.
- Four vehicles with hidden compartments
- Approximately $20,000 in various currency
Drugs and firearms located in one of EPS’ largest-ever drug seizures
“This investigation is believed to be one of the largest, if not the largest, seizure of controlled substances in EPS history,” says Staff Sergeant David Paton, with the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement (EDGE) Section. “Intercepting this huge volume of extremely harmful street drugs before they wreak havoc in our city is a rewarding outcome for our investigators, who have worked tirelessly for months on this operation.”
Jesse Koble, 29, is facing 27 charges, Mitchell Steeg, 31, is charged with nine offences, and Steven Santillana, 34 is charged with two offences, for a total of 38 drug and firearms-related criminal charges.
The EPS takes a strategic approach to drug and organized crime related violence through its Guns and Gangs Strategy. This plan considers the unique factors driving serious crime in the city, identifying key focus areas that require increased and sustained effort to reduce victimization and improve community safety.
The strategy leverages EPS’ internal expertise and external partnerships with other enforcement and social agencies to strike a balance between education, suppression, intervention, and prevention. It encompasses immediate and long-term solutions that both hold those perpetrating violence accountable and lead willing individuals away from gang association.
The Alberta Update: Recap of this week’s top provincial issues
California may lose two more refineries, would have to rely on gas from abroad
Trump’s 19th-Century Solution to Fiscal Disaster
Multi-million dollar drug seizure in southwest Edmonton
Why Don’t Men Go To University Any More?
Indigenous Catholic Priest questions “The murder of 215 Indigenous Children” at Kamloops Indian Residential School
Priming The NHL Coaching Carousel For Another Spin
-
Automotive2 days agoBiden-Harris Admin’s EV Coercion Campaign Hasn’t Really Gone All That Well
-
Alberta2 days agoPreparation, swift response define wildfire season
-
Alberta2 days agoAlberta Bill of Rights Amendment, Bill 24 – Stronger protections for personal rights
-
Business21 hours agoPremiers fight to lower gas taxes as Trudeau hikes pump costs
-
Alberta1 day agoHeavy-duty truckers welcome new ‘natural gas highway’ in Alberta
-
Alberta2 days agoAnother Blow To The Carbon Tax
-
MAiD2 days agoQuebec set to take euthanasia requests in advance, violating federal law
-
Economy2 days agoOne Solution to Canada’s Housing Crisis: Move. Toronto loses nearly half million people to more affordable locations