Man accused of grisly Waverley Heights murder had tangled history of alleged abuse with co-accused

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 42-year-old woman whose body was found decomposing in a barrel.

Two other women, including one from Calgary, have also been arrested as accessories to the killing.

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Police believe Jennifer Barrett, 42, died sometime in August 2016 from injuries she sustained from an ongoing assault. Officers said Barrett’s body was put inside a barrel along with several chemical agents which accelerated the decomposition of the body.

According to police, Barrett, along with the three accused shared a home in Waverley Heights. It’s on that property where police found the barrel.

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Police said they began an investigation in the late fall of 2016 into the human remains. A search warrant was later executed on December 1, 2016. However, it took forensic results to be able to eventually confirm the body’s identity.

Charges

Perez Adaryll Cleveland, 43, Canadian Citizen (Born in United States) with First Degree Murder

Jessica Elizabeth Reid, 34, of Winnipeg with Accessory after the fact to murder

Holley Alyssa Sullivan, 28, of Calgary with Accessory after the fact to murder.

All three are in custody.

Cleveland was already in Headingley Jail and was re-arrested.

History of charges

Cleveland has a long history with police and according to court documents, was previously in a common law relationship with Reid, who is also charged in relation to Barrett’s murder.

Reid filed for a three-year protection order in October 2016 for herself and her son, from a previous relationship.

According to her statement Cleveland was abusive and had threatened to kill her.

“I have been burnt by vice grips and a blow torch in August… (he) beat me steady for those three days with golf clubs, hammers (and a) machete. (He) threatened to kill me.”

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She continued describing in detail what she claimed to be days of abuse.  None of those claims have been proven in court.

“I was scared,” Reid said in her protection order application. “(He) beat me for the past six months and also has pulled a gun.”

In December, police arrested Cleveland after saying he was a suspect in a series of violent assaults from Aug. 14 to Sept. 27. He was charged with 55 offences, including assault, assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon.