EDMONTON — One man is facing murder charges in the death of a northern Alberta man and a second suspect is accused of being involved after the fact.
RCMP said Randy Lopushinsky, 56, from Redwater, Alta., was the victim of a homicide. He was last seen by this family on Jan. 23.
Lopushinsky’s blue, 2007 Ford Escape was found in a rural area northwest of Westlock on Jan. 30. At that point the RCMP’s Serious Crimes Branch was brought in to help investigate what happened.
READ MORE: Missing northern Alberta man was murdered: RCMP
On Feb. 13, Jon Irwin Ward, 41, of Thorhild was charged with one count of second-degree murder.
Three days later, police arrested 36-year-old Billy Joe Deren of Rochester. He was charged with one count of accessory after the fact to murder, and one count of offering an indignity to human remains.
In a news release issued Wednesday, RCMP said Lopushinsky’s body has since been recovered and an autopsy in Edmonton is pending. Police did not say where or when the body was found.
Deren is scheduled to appear in Fort Saskatchewan provincial court on Feb. 18 and Ward is scheduled to appear on Feb. 22. Police said they are not looking for any other suspects.
Redwater is about a one-hour drive northeast of Edmonton while Westlock is about a 50-minute drive northwest of Redwater. Thorhild and Rochester are both in the same area.
With files from Phil Heidenreich, Global News
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