Calgary police have charged a Lethbridge woman in relation to the death of a woman found badly beaten outside a bank in northwest Calgary in February 2017.
Police were called at about 1:20 a.m. on Feb. 22, 2017 to the bank at 4820 Northland Drive N.W. after the woman was found by a security guard. She was taken to hospital by EMS, where she died two days later.
In a plea to find witnesses on Feb. 28, 2017 police identified the victim as 28-year-old Trisheena Simon and declared her death a homicide.
Investigators eventually identified a suspect, who they believe knew Simon. It’s believed the two met before the incident and had an altercation that turned violent.
WATCH: Acting Staff Sgt. Ken Carriere speaks to media after a Lethbridge woman was charged in 2017 homicide.
Police have charged 45-year-old Crystal Mills of Lethbridge with manslaughter in Simon’s death. She is expected to appear in court in Calgary on May 25.
Police said she had been arrested in Lethbridge on an unrelated matter and was questioned while in custody and charges were subsequently laid.
“Although an assault was obviously involved, which led to the victim’s death, that information gets brought forward to the Crown prosecutor’s office,” Staff Sgt. Ken Carriere said Wednesday.
“It’s the Crown that inevitably decides that charge will be laid. In this particular case, based on the circumstances, a manslaughter charge was laid.”
He added the investigation was a lengthy process due to the transient nature of the witnesses involved in the case.
Simon’s family told Global News they were relieved by news of Mill’s arrest.
They said Simon had suffered great loss in the months leading up to her own death.
“When her mom passed it was really hard on her and she really struggled with depression that it left her with and she sort of lost who she was,” Simon’s aunt, Katherine Swampy said.
Swampy explained both Simon’s mother and aunt were killed, and it has made the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women really hit home for the family.
“This was our family, people we grew up with and loved and cared for and they were very important to us,” Swampy said.
Simon’s adopted mother Irene Omeasoo said one of her favourite memories is of Simon doing her hair.
“She was my girl. She was so happy,” Omeasoo said. “She wanted to go back to school and be something.”
Simon left behind two children.
Anyone with information on this incident who hasn’t already spoken with investigators is asked to call police at 403-266-1234 or 403-428-8877 or to contact Crime Stoppers.
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