2 men charged in alleged contract killing from 2017: Calgary police

As the three-year anniversary of a Calgary homicide approaches, police have laid murder charges against two men from the city following an “exhaustive investigation” that concluded it was a contract killing.

On Nov. 4, 2017, after 4 p.m., police responded to the 0 to 100 block of Ranchero Rise N.W. for reports of a body in a vehicle in a back alley. Officers believe the victim — identified as Ronnie Olara Obina, 29, of Calgary — was shot there early on the morning of Nov. 3, 2017.

On Oct. 23, 2020, the Regina Police Service arrested two men in that city related to Obina’s death.

Jessie Pearson, 33, and Jayme Scott Denovan, 30, were each charged with one count of first-degree murder and are set to appear in court on Oct. 29, according to police. Officers couldn’t say why the pair were in Regina at the time.

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Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta of the Calgary Police Service Homicide Unit said in a news conference on Monday that it was a complex investigation with the hallmarks of organized crime and co-ordination from other law enforcement agencies.

Murder for hire is rare in the Calgary community but it does happen, Schiavetta said.

“Because of the nature of that and the elements of organized crime, it did take our service three years of tireless work to get us to the point where we could lay charges,” he explained, noting that interpreting electronic devices played a key role in the investigation.

Though the motive is still unknown, investigators said it was a targeted attack, explaining they “worked tirelessly to identify potential suspects.”

“Over the course of three years, we exhausted all our leads,” Schiavetta said. “The suspects and the victim are not connected to one another.”

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The investigation is still an active one, he said, asking for people who have information to come forward.

“This is a great example of even with the passage of time, our members are committed to uncovering the truth and holding individuals accountable,” Schiavetta said.