‘A wonderful lady’: Man charged with murder in death of Langford, B.C. woman

Police on Vancouver Island have charged a 27-year-old man with one count of second degree murder in relation to the death of a woman in Langford, B.C., on New Year’s Eve.

Ryan Elder is in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 20, B.C. RCMP said in a Tuesday news release.

The woman was found dead in her Langford home around noon on Dec. 31, 2021, by West Shore RCMP responding to a call for a well-being check.

Neighbour Tom Colegrave said he first knew something was wrong when he saw yellow police tape being wrapped around the house on Selwyn Road in southern Vancouver Island.

“She was a wonderful lady,” he told Global News. “She did house cleaning — that was her business — and her son lived with her … She was hard-working and a good neighbour.”

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Colegrave said Elder, the suspect, was the woman’s son.

B.C. RCMP have declined to provide additional details on the case, but previously said a man they took into custody on Dec. 31 knew the victim.

“Pretty shocked, obviously everyone is looking for information,” said Colegrave.

Sheral Emerson, another neighbour, said she’s “really sad” for the loss of the woman.

“I just feel it’s quite a tragedy and it’s such a terrible way to go for someone who has worked so hard to look after her child the best she can.”