Almost 13 years after a 22-year-old man’s body was found in the trunk of a vehicle in a north Edmonton church’s parking lot, police say a man has been arrested in B.C. in connection with the killing.
The Edmonton Police Service said Michele (Micheal) Potestio, 45, was arrested without incident in B.C.’s Lower Mainland on Tuesday. He is charged with second-degree murder.
On June 12, 2007 at 7:30 p.m., Richard Harris’ body was found in the trunk of a rental vehicle in a parking lot at 144 Avenue and 94 Street.
An autopsy later concluded that Harris died from multiple stab wounds as well as blunt-force injuries.
“A person of interest in the murder was identified early in the investigation,” Staff Sgt. Ryan Tebb said in a news release issued Friday night.
“In 2014, additional witness evidence was obtained but it wasn’t enough to move forward with charges.”
According to police, historical homicide unit investigators undertook a review of the file in December 2018.
“After 15 months of further investigations, approval was obtained from the Crown to charge Michele Potestio, 45, for second-degree murder.”
Since his arrest, Potestio has been moved to Edmonton to face the charge and has been remanded until his first court appearance, scheduled for March 30.
Watch below: (From 2018) After investigative efforts are exhausted in the RCMP Major Crime Units, cases are moved over to the Historical Homicide Unit.