It took investigators extensive testing, but nearly four years after an Edmonton man went missing on Christmas Eve, murder charges have been laid in his death.
Victor Roger Noel, 56, was reportedly last seen around 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24, 2019 near 108 Street and 85 Avenue in Old Strathcona.
Police said Noel’s disappearance was out of character so there were concern for his welfare.
EPS issued a news release about the missing man on Jan. 7, 2020 but the case went nowhere for another two and a half years until remains were found in a rural area south of Edmonton.
On Thursday, Aug. 18. 2022, Camrose RCMP responded to a report of human remains found north of town near Township Road 474 and Range Road 203 in Camrose County.
The remains were taken to the medical examiner in Edmonton, where an autopsy was done two days later, but they could not be definitively identified.
Then in late September 2022, circumstances around the death led RCMP and EPS to believe it was linked to Noel’s disappearance and EPS Homicide Section took the lead in the investigation.
A month later, with the assistance of DNA technology, police confirmed the identity to be Victor Noel.
Normally, police would release such information at the time but the Edmonton Police Service said it specifically did not do so, in order to try and catch those responsible for the death.
“As detectives were still actively investigating the suspects in Mr. Noel’s disappearance, we chose to strategically deviate from our normal information release process,” Homicide Section Staff Sgt. Rob Bilawey said in a statement.
“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.”
After nearly a year of extensive testing, the medical examiner confirmed the cause and manner of death on July 11 of this year, concluding Noel died as a result of a gunshot wound and the death was a homicide.
This month, a man and woman were arrested and charged in the case.
Colin Lepretre, 31, of Edmonton was arrested on Wednesday, Nov. 15 and charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body in relation to Noel’s death. He was incarcerated at the time of his arrest, police said.
A week later on Nov. 22, Elizabeth Quinn, 28, of Vancouver, was also arrested. Quinn has since been charged with accessory after the fact to murder and indignity to a dead body.