A little over a year after a 42-year-old Edmonton father disappeared, Edmonton police say he was murdered and have identified a U.S. citizen as the prime suspect. Court documents show police allege the victim was murdered because of his relationship with the suspect’s ex-girlfriend.
Dwayne Demkiw was last seen at 4 a.m. on Sunday, May 31, 2015 and his vehicle was found later in the day in southeast Calgary. On April 5, 2016, his remains were found in a wooded area near Innisfail.
READ MORE: Remains of Edmonton man reported missing in 2015 found in central Alberta
On Wednesday, the Edmonton Police Service said Alberta’s Attorney General has submitted an extradition request for 41-year-old Jason Steadman, an American currently in custody in the U.S., in order to face a charge of first-degree murder in Alberta in connection with Demkiw’s death.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant on first-degree murder and arson charges was issued for Steadman on Oct. 15, 2015. Police said he is currently behind bars in Washington.
After police announced the province was seeking Steadman’s extradition, Demkiw’s brother Darren spoke to Global News from Wainright, Alta. about the progress made in solving Dwayne’s murder.
“We maintain to have faith in the EPS, in particular homicide division, they’ve done an excellent job since day one and I know in the end justice will be served,” he said. “I have confidence in the detectives and everyone we work with so I look forward to that day.”
Court documents from December, outlining Alberta’s extradition request, reveal previously unknown details about Demkiw’s movements before going missing as well as a complex history of the man suspected of killing Demkiw.
The complaint for provisional arrest along with extradition shows Demkiw worked as a truck driver and travelled between Edmonton and Calgary during the week while also working occasionally as a limousine driver for Revolution Entertainment.
The documents allege that on the evening of May 30, 2015, Demkiw went to a birthday party at a downtown Edmonton restaurant called The Oil Lamp before leaving around 9 p.m. for his job as a limousine driver. Demkiw had arranged to meet up with friends from the party once his shift finished at 3 a.m. Police said driver logs show Demkiw returned to Revolution Entertainment at 3 a.m. before leaving work at 4 a.m.
Later that morning, around 11 a.m., firefighters were called to a parking lot in southeast Calgary where a car’s trunk was on fire. The vehicle was still running and didn’t have a licence plate. A witness told police they saw someone leave the scene looking at the burning car and with a licence plate in hand and took video of the person, the court documents reveal. An investigation concluded the man seen with the plate was not Demkiw although the vehicle belonged to him.
The documents allege that when Angel Chalifoux – Demkiw’s former common-law wife – spoke to police, they showed her a picture of the man seen with the licence plate and she identified him as Robert Aubrey-Maxwell, her recent ex-boyfriend. She told officers Aubrey-Maxwell had expressed he wasn’t happy that she continued to be friends with Demkiw and blamed their friendship for the fact his relationship with Chalifoux didn’t last.
Court documents show that a forensic examination of Demkiw’s car uncovered a significant amount of his blood on the driver’s seat, driver’s door and in the backseat.
Police tried to contact Aubrey-Maxwell but were unsuccessful. However, on June 14, 2015, his abandoned pickup truck was found in Vancouver.
Records show Aubrey-Maxwell was born in Ontario and eventually arrested there where his DNA was put into a data bank. He eventually ended up in Vancouver but hadn’t been heard from by police or family since 2012.
Court documents show police allege Jason Steadman used Aubrey-Maxwell’s non-photo ID to obtain photo ID saying he was Aubrey-Maxwell and actually born in Vancouver. Police allege Steadman then came to Alberta in November 2012 where he obtained an Alberta driver’s licence and Canadian passport in Aubrey-Maxwell’s name. The court documents do not mention what happened to whom police refer to as “the true Aubrey-Maxwell.”
When contacted by Global News, the Vancouver Police Department said Robert Aubrey-Maxwell “was last seen in August of 2012 and reported missing to the Vancouver Police in February of the following year. The VPD continues to investigate the circumstances involved in the case of this missing person.”
READ MORE: U.S. man, wanted for murder in Alberta, linked to disappearance of B.C. man
Chalifoux had kept Aubrey-Maxwell’s passport and police ran it through a facial comparison database where they determined the photo resembled that of 41-year-old Jason Steadman of the state of Washington. Court documents allege Steadman had previously changed his name from Stephen Rory Preston but U.S. officials told police both names had the same social security number.
Demkiw grew up in North Battleford and Saskatoon before moving to Edmonton 16 years ago.
According to his brother Darren, Dwayne is remembered for being there for his friends and “living in the moment.” He said he was also an avid scuba diver who worked two jobs to help pay for his hobby and the travel it required.
“You lose somebody and under the circumstances it’s been a real struggle but you continue to be strong and move on and always remember Dwayne.”
-With files from Shallima Maharaj.
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