Man found dead after arson had been stabbed, Edmonton police lay murder charge

A man found dead by firefighters responding to a house fire last weekend had been fatally stabbed, the Edmonton Police Service said in an update on Friday.

The fire broke out early Sunday evening in the Montrose neighbourhood.

Police got a call from Edmonton Fire Rescue Services around 5:40 p.m., asking for officers to come to the scene of a fire they were fighting.

The EPS said firefighters were dealing with the fire near 59 Street and 119 Avenue when they found a dead person inside the home.

The flames gutted the house. On Monday, investigators were on-site combing through the scene.

In a news release, EPS shared a screenshot from a video posted to the stories of the anonymous Instagram account, Yegwave, in which the caption alleges there was an argument nearby resulting in someone throwing a lit item into a window of the home.

Earlier this week, Edmonton police said homicide detectives were looking to speak with the person who captured that video of the fire. On Friday, police said they had connected with the person.

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An autopsy was completed on Thursday, after which the medical examiner determined Javier Hull, 35, died as a result of multiple stab wounds and the manner of death was a homicide.

The EPS homicide section has since arrested and charged Ciana Hamelin, 20, with second-degree murder and arson.