Man charged with wife’s murder following her disappearance

A man has been charged with his wife’s murder, six days after she was reported missing.

41-year-old Jennifer McPherson was reported missing on May 1 in Alert Bay on Vancouver Island. On Monday afternoon, the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) confirmed McPherson was the victim of murder.

37-year-old Traigo Ehkid Andretti, Jennifer’s husband, remains in police custody and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Monday, May 13 in Campbell River Provincial Court.

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Our investigators remain focused on conducting a thorough search of Hanson Island for any evidence related to this murder, and the ultimate goal of seeing justice served for Jennifer’s grieving family, said Sgt. Kevin Mazur of the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit.

VIIMCU investigators are continuing their work on Hanson Island, where Jennifer’s murder was committed.  VIIMCU investigators are being assisted by officers from the Alert Bay RCMP Detachment, RCMP Forensic Identification Section, RCMP Island District Tactical Troop, RCMP West Coast Marine Service and the Police Dog Service.  Their work is expected to continue for several more days.

McPherson’s family has been notified of her death and the investigative developments.