A Hamilton, Ont., man is facing a murder charge in connection with the death of a woman found on the side of a road in Lincoln last month.
Homicide investigators say Jessica Lynn St. Jules, 27, got into a granite-coloured Dodge Grand Caravan near the Hamilton Public Library on Barton Street East on June 8 and was later found dead at the side of a Niagara Region rural road.
Niagara police say a 20-year-old man, arrested Tuesday, has now been charged with the second-degree murder of St. Jules.
Staff Sgt. Andrew Knevel says a tip sent to Hamilton police from a resident helped identify the Caravan involved and that its driver was “the person responsible.”
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Knevel says the relationship between the two is still under investigation but revealed St. Jules entered the man’s van “voluntarily.”
“We have no indication prior to this incident that they had any prior contact with each other,” Knevel said.
“We know there was no force applied to her to get her in the vehicle … she consensually entered this vehicle and left with the male we believe is responsible.”
The accused, Pedro Benitez Leal, faced a judge on Tuesday and was remanded into custody. He’s expected back in court on July 8.
During a mid-June update, detectives revealed St. Jules body was found by a resident around 3 p.m. on June 8 near Nineteenth Street and Seventh Avenue.
Knevel went on to say police have had ongoing communications with St. Jule’s family and that they have been “appreciative” and “cooperative” with the investigation.
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