A 32-year-old man from Camrose, Alta., has been charged with first-degree murder in the May 24 death of Lisa Arsenault.
“It’s a huge charge,” Arsenault’s sister Ashley Kowalewski told Global News.
“It does give me some faith in the police, that they’ve been doing their work and that they have the right evidence to support a charge of this gravity.”
The charge also gives Arsenault’s family hope for her three boys.
“It reaffirms my belief that there could be justice for my sister and her sons,” Kowalewski said.
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Police were called to the Royal Lodge just off Gateway Boulevard near 38 Avenue where Arsenault, 48, was found dead inside one of the motel suites. Her death was ruled a homicide but the cause of death was not released.
On Wednesday, a composite sketch and an eight-second video clip of a man were released by police. The video shows a man walk out of a motel suite at the Royal Lodge, close the door and walk away. Police said the man was a suspect in the case.
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On Friday, police said “as a result of public tips,” Ian Stewart Gainer was arrested Thursday and later charged with first-degree murder.
The EPS Homicide Unit said tips started coming in after it released the surveillance footage.
Arsenault’s son describes her as funny and very outgoing.
“My mom was the queen of comebacks,” Vincent Tonery said. “She’d come from the lowest of lows and she’d always be back on top.”
The loss has been especially tough for Tonery and his brothers. His father died of heart failure two months before his mother was killed.
“It’s devastating. I’m emotionally distraught,” Tonery said.
“Last night was the first night I was able to sleep through the whole night, knowing that this guy’s not out there.”