The man charged in the deaths of Terry Blanchette and Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette has now also been charged in the death of Hanne Meketech of Coleman.
Meketech, a Coleman senior, was found dead inside her home in September 2015.
The 69-year-old’s death was determined to be a homicide at the time, but police have never released details about her cause of death.
Meketech’s body was found in the community just a few days after the deaths of Terry Blanchette and his daughter Hailey in nearby Blairmore.
At the time, RCMP declined to say whether they believed there was any connection between the two cases but Saretzky was charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday.
"Understandably, the events of last September have been traumatic for the people who live in the Crowsnest Pass area and, with today's announcement, that trauma is revisited for some," Inspector Derek Williams with the RCMP Serious Crimes Branch said.
"The fact that these crimes happened in small town settings where everyone knows their neighbours compounds the shock for those that live there."
Williams says that the RCMP is working with the community to help them overcome the troubling events.
Specific details about the case will not be released because it is still before the courts, he said.
Investigators say the determination was made following extensive work by a number of specialized sections, including the RCMP Major Crimes Unit and the Forensic Identification Section.
"The RCMP work tirelessly on this homicide investigation. It does take time to collect evidence and fact and we have to follow the evidence and gather it for discussion with the Crown," Williams said.
Williams said that Saretzky was identified as a suspect in Meketech's murder after Terry and Hailey's deaths were confirmed and he was declared a suspect in their murders.
Meketech was discovered dead on September 9, five days before Blanchette's body was found inside his Blairmore home. Williams could not comment on the specifics on the timeline of events.
The evidence that led them to connect him to the case is also expected to be presented in court, but Williams did say that Saretzky and Meketech were known to each other.
"But that's expected in a small community like the Crowsnest Pass area where a number of their neighbours know a number of people in the community."
Williams says the RCMP have spoken with the families of all the victims and accused as part of their investigation.
Saretzky's next court appearance has yet to be determined.
