Police lay charges in north Edmonton apartment homicide

EDMONTON – Edmonton police have charged a 47-year-old man with second degree murder in connection with the death of 26-year-old Kyle Curtis Scheck.

Homicide detectives arrested Vincent Prentice over the weekend. He has been charged with second degree murder in connection with Scheck’s death Thursday evening. He’s also facing a number of other charges, some relating to the stabbing of another man who survived.

Prentice has been charged with aggravated assault, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of a narcotic, and breach of recognizance.

“Mr. Prentice is on release of an undertaking at this time for possession of a controlled substance, possession of stolen property, obstruction, and possession of identity documents,” said EPS Staff Sgt. Bill Clark on Monday. “He also has an outstanding charge before the courts of disqualified driving. He’s an individual that – for some reason – is still out out on the streets.  And it sure makes us shake our heads as to why this is happening all the time. We believe the circumstances surrounding this violence were once again drug related. Our information is that this was basically a drug deal gone bad at this residence.”

Police were called to a weapon’s complaint at an apartment in the area of 128 Avenue and 65 Street around 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

“Upon arrival, (officers) found a deceased male,” said EPS Spokesperson Scott Pattison that evening. “It was in a suite. It appears there was a party going on at that time.”

An autopsy performed Friday determined that the death police were called to investigate Thursday evening at a north Edmonton apartment is a homicide.

The Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that 26-year-old Kyle Curtis Scheck died of a stab wound to his chest.  

Police say a second victim injured during Thursday’s violent altercation – he was found at a parking lot, in the area of 128 Avenue and 66 Street – is recovering from multiple stab wounds.

Investigators now believe the incident was drug and gang related. They continue to search for potential witnesses and suspects.

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“This is basically a drug deal gone bad,” said Clark. “We’re basically talking $400 worth of drugs and a young man loses his life over it. They went to this specific suite to make a deal and things went bad inside – very bad inside.”

“Two individuals were stabbed, and we’re lucky that just one died, because the other could have very easily died.”

Clark stressed that this homicide speaks to a bigger issue.

“We’re tired of seeing the revolving door in our justice system. The chiefs mentioned that many times and it’s been brought up by the Edmonton Police Association. We’re tired of these guys with serious criminal offences and serious criminal backgrounds out on the street. This is another example of one who’s out on the street. Should he have been? That’s not my decision to make, but I can see that he’s charged with a number of serious offences, has a history with police, has a history with Corrections Canada…When you’re charged with more offences, and you’re continuously in trouble, at what point do we finally say enough is enough and you’re kept in jail?”

The violence was certainly noticed by those who live in the area.

“This whole area was just locked down,” said Eric Martens, who lives in the area. “I heard people were saying something about a double homicide, or a shooting or stabbing or something like that.”

“It’s not the first time something of this magnitude has happened… There was a murder in this building just a few years ago.”

Martens said he plans to move out of the neighbourhood at some point.

“It’s a bit of a rougher neighbourhood,” he added. “It’s a little disconcerting… it’s always good to see the police around… I don’t plan on living in this neighbourhood forever.”

The situation was a frightening one for resident Jennifer Lavery.

“I was terrified. I am terrified… I couldn’t sleep… It’s frightening, and I just moved here two months ago.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this before, right next to where I live,” she said.

This is Edmonton’s 21st homicide of 2013.

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