Western Standard - January 29, 2026


PRESSER： Alberta RCMP investigate deaths in St. Albert apartment involving woman and infant


Episode Stats

Length

17 minutes

Words per Minute

124.3706

Word Count

2,223

Sentence Count

160

Misogynist Sentences

1

Hate Speech Sentences

2


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming. I'm Corporal Troy Savinkoff. I'm a Public
00:00:06.400 Information Officer with the Alberta RCMP. I'd like to start this event by acknowledging
00:00:11.440 Indigenous peoples whose traditional territory we have gathered on today. The original caretakers
00:00:17.540 and stewards of Treaty 6, including Cree, Nakoda, and Anishinaabe. We acknowledge the many First
00:00:23.800 Nations, Métis, and Inuit who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations.
00:00:28.900 We are grateful for the traditional knowledge keepers and elders who are still with us today
00:00:33.960 and those who have gone before us. Today, the Alberta RCMP are conducting a media availability
00:00:40.440 in regards to an investigation undertaken by our Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit into two deaths
00:00:47.500 that occurred in St. Albert. Inspector Wayne Stevenson, Operations Officer of the Major Crimes Unit,
00:00:54.100 will be giving a presentation. This will be followed by Inspector Aaron White, who's the
00:00:59.660 detached commander of the St. Albert RCMP. And that will be followed by Corporal Howell,
00:01:05.500 Matthew Howell, who will be repeating everything in French. And then we have Sergeant James McConnell
00:01:11.080 here with our Major Crimes Unit who will assist with Q&A afterwards. Following all this, the release,
00:01:17.540 the photo that you see here, will be provided to the media in a release. It'll be about an hour afterwards. Okay? Sir?
00:01:32.540 Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for attending today. On January 23rd, St. Albert RCMP received a report of a suspicious item in an apartment in the River Crescent area in St. Albert.
00:01:36.540 Upon arrival, officers located the human remains of a deceased person. The Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit were deployed and they took the carriage of the investigation.
00:01:57.540 The Major Crimes Unit was supported by our Edmonton Forensic Identification Section and the St. Albert General Investigation Section.
00:02:10.540 The deceased was taken to the Edmonton Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the remains are believed to belong to 23-year-old Ayla Ecotic Learn.
00:02:18.540 Early in this investigation, the RCMP became aware that Ayla's nine-month-old daughter, Braylee Beasley, was missing. This significantly increased the urgency as officers and her efforts focused on assuring Braylee's safety.
00:02:39.540 We had quickly identified a suspect, identified on the 27th of January, and we arrested 33-year-old Christopher William Beasley at a hotel in St. Albert.
00:02:56.540 Christopher Beasley has been charged with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of indignity to a human body.
00:03:03.540 Christopher Beasley has been taken before Justice of the Peace and remanded into custody with his next court date set on February 2, 2026 at the Alberta Court of Justice in St. Albert.
00:03:20.540 Currently, we have reason to believe that Braylee is deceased.
00:03:25.540 The charge of second-degree murder pertains to the death of Ayla.
00:03:32.540 The charges of indignity to a body pertain to both Ayla and Braylee.
00:03:37.540 We continue our efforts to locate the remains of Braylee.
00:03:43.540 We do have some understanding of where Braylee's remains are located,
00:03:47.540 and at this time we're not seeking the public's assistance in the search currently.
00:03:54.540 Should there be any updates in this investigation, we'll ensure that everyone is updated.
00:04:00.540 This investigation saw a rapid deployment of experienced investigators performing hundreds of individual tasks in a short period of time.
00:04:09.540 These tasks included working with the medical examiner, conducting interviews, gathering forensic evidence, obtaining judicial authorizations, and many more.
00:04:21.540 I wish to thank our officers for their continued commitment to this investigation, which really, truly makes a difference.
00:04:29.540 Being the officer in charge of the Serious Crime Branch, investigations like this are a reminder that every successful investigation begins with, unfortunately, a tragedy.
00:04:39.540 A woman and her child should be planning for tomorrow, not being mourned today.
00:04:45.540 I'm deeply saddened for this family and extend my heartfelt condolences for all those who love them.
00:04:53.540 Thank you very much for being here today.
00:04:55.540 Good afternoon. Crimes of this nature are deeply unsettling for our communities, and especially our community here in St. Albert.
00:05:13.540 I want to acknowledge the shock and concern that this would have caused our community members, and will continue to cause our residents in St. Albert.
00:05:25.540 These are our friends, our neighbors. We need to acknowledge that.
00:05:30.540 Beyond that, I think it's important to recognize the impact on the family and friends of these two individuals.
00:05:35.540 They've suffered an absolutely tragic loss, and I just want to take a moment and acknowledge that.
00:05:46.540 Our detachment is committed to continuing to work closely with the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit as this investigation progresses.
00:05:54.540 I want to underline that we remain firmly committed to the safety, the well-being, and the resilience of our community.
00:06:05.540 Now, our thoughts are with Ayla and Baby Braley, and we are absolutely focused on doing right by them.
00:06:13.540 We remain resolute and firmly committed to continuing all investigative efforts to locate and bring this little one home.
00:06:24.540 Thank you very much.
00:06:25.540 Thank you.
00:06:27.540 Hummer Chou vexnz
00:06:33.540 Bonjour, je suis le Caporade Matthew Howell, policier de défense au public, pour la GRC de l'Alberta.
00:06:38.540 Je vais commencer par traduire les dires de l'inspecteur Stevenson et par la suite de l'inspecteur White.
00:06:44.540 Bonjour et merci d'être présent aujourd'hui.
00:06:46.540 We are present today.
00:06:47.540 The 23 January 20th, the GRC of St. Albert had received an call signant the presence of
00:06:51.540 a suspect in an apartment located in the river Crest Crescent, St. Albert.
00:06:56.540 At the arrival, the police discovered the body of a woman.
00:07:00.540 The unit d'écrit majeur of the GRC of Alberta was deployed and took charge of the investigation.
00:07:05.540 It was supported by the section of the Judicial Identity of Edmonton and the section of the
00:07:09.540 Enquête General of the GRC of St. Albert.
00:07:11.540 Le corps de la victime a été transporté au bureau du médecin légiste en chef d'Edmonton
00:07:15.540 et la victime semble être Ayla Egotik-Learn, âgée de 23 ans.
00:07:20.540 Au début de l'enquête, la GRC a appris que Braylee Beasley, la fille de 9 mois d'Ayla,
00:07:25.540 avait disparu.
00:07:26.540 Cela a considérablement accru l'urgence de la situation, les efforts se concentrant
00:07:31.540 sur la sécurité de Braylee.
00:07:33.540 Nos agents ont rapidement identifié le suspect et, le 27 janvier 2026, ils ont arrêté Christopher
00:07:38.540 William Beasley, 33 ans, résident de St. Albert, dans un hôtel à St. Albert.
00:07:44.540 Christopher Beasley a été inculpé d'un chef d'accusation de meurtre au deuxième degré
00:07:48.540 et de deux chefs d'accusation pour non-respect d'un cadavre.
00:07:51.540 Christopher Beasley a été traduit devant un juge de paix et plaçant de détention
00:07:55.540 provisoire.
00:07:56.540 Sa prochaine comparution est prévue le 2 février 2026 devant le palais de justice de l'Alberta
00:08:01.540 à St. Albert.
00:08:03.540 En ce moment, la GRC a des raisons de croire que Braylee est décédée.
00:08:07.540 Toutefois, l'accusation de meurtre au deuxième degré concerne le décès d'Ayla.
00:08:11.540 Les accusations de non-respect à un cadavre concernent à la fois Ayla et Braylee.
00:08:17.540 Nous poursuivons nos efforts pour localiser le corps de Braylee.
00:08:21.540 Nous avons une idée de l'endroit où il se trouve et nous ne requérons pas l'aide
00:08:25.540 du public pour le moment.
00:08:27.540 Si l'enquête devait connaître de nouveaux développements, nous verrons à ce que tout
00:08:32.540 le monde soit informé.
00:08:33.540 Cette enquête a nécessité le déploiement rapide d'enquêteurs expérimentés qui ont
00:08:37.540 accompli des centaines de tâches individuelles en peu de temps.
00:08:40.540 Ces tâches comprenaient la collaboration avec le médecin légiste, la conduite d'entrevues,
00:08:44.540 la collecte de preuves médico-légales, l'obtention d'autorisations judiciaires et bien d'autres
00:08:49.540 encore.
00:08:50.540 Je remercie nos agents qui font vraiment la différence pour leur engagement continu
00:08:55.540 dans cette enquête et plusieurs autres.
00:08:57.540 Des enquêtes comme celle-ci nous rappellent que toute enquête réussie commence par une
00:09:01.540 tragédie.
00:09:02.540 Une femme et son enfant devraient être en train de planifier leur avenir au lieu d'être
00:09:06.540 pleurés aujourd'hui.
00:09:07.540 Nous sommes profondément attristés pour cette famille et adressons nos sincères condoléances
00:09:11.540 à tous ceux qui les aimaient.
00:09:13.540 Les crimes de cette nature sont profondément troublants pour notre communauté de Saint-Albert
00:09:23.540 et je tiens à reconnaître le choc et l'inquiétude que cela a causé et continuera de causer à
00:09:28.540 nos résidents.
00:09:29.540 De plus, je pense qu'il est important de reconnaître l'impact sur la famille et les amis qui ont
00:09:34.540 subi cette perte tragique.
00:09:35.540 Notre détachement continuera à travailler en étroite collaboration avec l'Unité des crimes
00:09:40.540 majeures de la GRC de l'Alberta au fur et à mesure que l'enquête progresse.
00:09:44.540 Nous restons fermement engagés à assurer la sécurité, le bien-être et la résilience
00:09:49.540 de notre communauté.
00:09:50.540 Nos pensées sont avec Ella et le bébé Braley et nous nous efforçons de leur faire justice.
00:09:55.540 Nous restons déterminés de poursuivre tous les efforts d'enquête pour localiser Braley.
00:10:00.540 Merci.
00:10:05.540 Thank you, Corporal Hall.
00:10:07.540 We'll now open up to some Q&A.
00:10:10.540 We have Sergeant James McConnell with the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit who will assist
00:10:14.540 us with those questions and answers.
00:10:16.540 Please understand that this is an active homicide investigation, so there are some limitations
00:10:21.540 as far as what we can answer.
00:10:27.540 Good afternoon.
00:10:28.540 What has been an Amber Alert ?
00:10:35.540 For sure.
00:10:36.540 There's a specific criteria required for an Amber Alert.
00:10:39.540 With the information that we had at the time, an Amber Alert wasn't supported.
00:10:44.540 As you can see from the date of the charge of the indignity being December 5th when we believe
00:10:50.540 this offence happened, there had been some time that had passed that an Amber Alert wasn't
00:10:55.540 appropriate at that time and did not meet the criteria.
00:10:59.540 .
00:11:00.540 Yes.
00:11:01.540 So through, in part, through the investigation we were able to determine some circumstances
00:11:16.540 wherein we believe that Mr. Beasley did cause an indignity, the details of which obviously
00:11:22.540 with this being before the court, I can't fully go into right now.
00:11:26.540 .
00:11:31.540 Yes.
00:11:32.540 Ayla and the accused were living in a common-law relationship with their, and Braley is their
00:11:39.540 daughter.
00:11:41.540 .
00:11:42.540 They were currently in that relationship, yes.
00:11:45.540 .
00:11:51.540 I can tell you that Mr. Beasley was known to the RCMP, but I cannot comment on his criminal
00:12:04.540 record.
00:12:05.540 .
00:12:10.540 My understanding is they were in that building in the St. Albert area since April
00:12:14.540 of 2024.
00:12:15.540 The specific of the residency I don't have available at this time.
00:12:19.540 .
00:12:20.540 Of course, with this being before the courts, I can't comment on that at this time.
00:12:27.540 .
00:12:33.540 Sure.
00:12:37.540 .
00:12:38.540 So, with respect to your question of the length of time, the initial police response was
00:12:45.540 to confirm the safety of Braley.
00:12:47.540 Once we were able to determine that her safety was in question, and at that time we believed
00:12:54.540 that she was deceased, we transitioned to a homicide investigation.
00:12:59.540 .
00:13:00.540 Being able to find and secure sufficient evidence to charge somebody within four days, I think
00:13:06.540 is a testament to the officers who worked on this file.
00:13:10.540 .
00:13:11.540 We had over 50 police officers working around the clock.
00:13:13.540 .
00:13:17.540 .
00:13:23.540 That's correct.
00:13:24.540 So, we believe the offences occurred in early December, that we were called on the 23rd,
00:13:33.540 and then, of course, charges on the 27th.
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00:13:59.540 Yeah, so, I'll provide some context to that.
00:14:02.540 The apartment complex where she was found, there is, you know, obviously, it's
00:14:08.540 Obviously, it's an apartment complex.
00:14:11.620 Representatives of the building went in to do a check, so to speak.
00:14:20.200 And when they entered the residence, they found this package or item.
00:14:32.700 Just based on the totality of the circumstances, we have some other evidence that I can't share,
00:14:37.400 obviously, with this going before the courts at this time.
00:14:39.660 That will come out throughout the court process.
00:14:46.160 It's a suspicious item.
00:14:57.540 My understanding is that residency was being terminated, and this was like an eviction-type check.
00:15:01.520 So you found a suspicious item, but I guess probably property managers would be found suspicious.
00:15:08.940 It would have been a building representative, yes.
00:15:10.920 And then they called you, and then you came and found a body in the apartment?
00:15:16.020 Yes.
00:15:16.320 No, as you can imagine, with offenses having happened in December, it'll take some time.
00:15:28.740 And, of course, we're into that court process, and the medical examiner has to do a comprehensive examination to provide those details.
00:15:36.820 The medical examiner, you'll have to follow up with the medical examiner.
00:15:39.740 And it's not uncommon for their reports to take some time, especially given the complexity in this case.
00:15:52.360 Yes.
00:15:58.580 To my knowledge, there's no other children.
00:16:00.180 For sure, I can tell you that Ayla was 23 years old.
00:16:15.680 She was from Cambridge Bay, none of it.
00:16:17.560 And she's been in Alberta since 2024.
00:16:19.680 And we believe her relationship started with Chris in April of 2024.
00:16:23.600 My understanding is, her world was her child, and that she spent all the time she could with her.
00:16:39.220 How does it feel, as I say, that this kind of is brought in the mental health community?
00:16:47.680 Good question.
00:16:48.480 I think the gravity of investigating the death of a nine-month-old to a young mother in a safe community is immense.
00:17:06.900 The officers who have worked on this file, the impact on the public is tremendous and will be felt by everyone.
00:17:18.480 I can't predict what charges are going to be coming forward in the future.
00:17:38.360 I can tell you that our investigation is ongoing.
00:17:41.040 We continue to gather evidence in the St. Albert area through all means at our disposal.
00:17:46.540 We'll just have to see what the fruits of that investigation bring.