Five people are now facing charges related to the death and dumping of a young girl’s body south of Edmonton earlier this year.
The eight-year-old girl, who Global News can not name due to a publication ban, went missing back in April from a home near 87 Avenue and 165 Street in west Edmonton.
On April 24, police stopped by to check in on the wellbeing of the child, but she was nowhere to be found so officers began investigating.
There were “suspicious circumstances” and EPS said the homicide section took over the case.
Global News spoke with a woman who called 911 after hearing a rumour a child may have been seriously injured or was dead.
She said her nephew told her he showed up at the apartment where the child was allegedly injured and saw an unconscious girl with a head wound in a bedroom and a dent on the wall.
Even before the girl was found, police believed she may have been killed.
Between April 26 and April 28, homicide investigators arrested a 27-year-old woman, the 25-year-old man and a 67-year-old man named Edward Nievera.
The woman was charged with first-degree murder and indignity to a dead body, and both men were charged with accessory to murder and indignity to a dead body.
The names of the two of the accused continue to be withheld by the Edmonton Police Service to protect the identity of other children related to the deceased. A publication ban is in place to protect the identity of the victim. No further arrests are pending.
On April 29, the girl’s remains were found on Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis. An autopsy days later found she died of blunt impact trauma and the death was confirmed to be a homicide.
Now, two more people are charged in relation to the girl’s death. Shayden Lightning, 21 and Raighne Stoney, 36 are also facing accessory to murder and indignity to a dead body charges.
Friends and family of the victim said they didn’t find out about the new charges until Edmonton police issued a news release to the public on Friday, saying the last time they spoke with investigators a month and a half ago, they were told police were not looking for any other suspects.
“Having this post show up today was like reopening wounds that didn’t need to be reopened,” said a close family friend that Global News is not identifying due to a publication ban.
The family says they are reeling at the news.
“Just shocking and heart wrenching because there was already three people. Like, she was just eight years old. Like, how did it how did it take five people?”
The friend babysat the eight-year-old victim as a baby and said the little girl called her aunty. She has never heard of the two new men who have been accused.
“I don’t think those people realize that they didn’t just take one girl. They destroyed a whole family.
“They tore apart a family that all grieve differently and are now grieving separately.”
Even though the girl’s identity is hidden behind a publication ban, those who knew and loved her say they’ll do what they can to ensure the child is not forgotten.
“We’re not just going to let her be another story swept under the rug,” said another family friend who was also considered an aunty. “We’re going to continue to tell her story.
“We don’t want people to just forget who she is….we have to continue to be her voice.”
Police said Raighne Stoney has been released on bail with conditions.
“We want to thank the RCMP in Maskwacis and Wetaskiwin for their assistance with this investigation,” Homicide section Staff Sgt. Colin Leathem said in a statement.
“Needless to say, this was an exceptionally distressing investigation to work on, and they went above and beyond in helping to facilitate these final arrests and bring this file to conclusion.
“While nothing can change the horror of what occurred, we hope that apprehending those responsible can provide some measure of justice to those who knew and loved this little girl.”
Global News is not identifying the child or family, due to a publication ban to protect both the victim and other children related to her.
No further arrests are pending, police said on Friday.
The girl’s death was the city’s 16th homicide of 2023.
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