Calgary police have now charged a man in connection with the death of Dawns Echoes Baptiste, who was found dead outside a northeast home last week.
Curtis Jade Tyson Healy, 25, is charged with first-degree murder in Baptiste’s death and was arrested on Saturday after he was spotted in southwest Calgary by a patrol unit.
Police say that Healy met the victim on Tuesday evening and travelled with her to various locations via the CTrain.
“We believe it was just a chance meeting and they spent three or four hours before her death together,”said Staff Sgt. Colin Chisholm of the CPS Homicide Unit.
Investigators say the pair exited the CTrain at the Whitehorn Station just before midnight and walked into the community.
Police believe an altercation took place between Healy and Baptiste, during which the woman was assaulted, dragged to a nearby yard and sexually assaulted.
Baptiste succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack a short time later.
Her body was found hours later at a home in the 0 to 100 block of Whitworth Road N.E. by a member of the public.
“She would have died early Wednesday morning. Our timeline is approximately 2:45 in the morning,” said Chisholm.
Investigators have not released a cause of death.
“It was a very violent scene and we’re hoping that she didn’t suffer for a long period of time, so we believe she either died while he was at the scene or a short time after he left the scene,” said Chisholm. “It was a very violent altercation that occurred but that specific cause of death has to come from the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.”
Alex Baptiste, the victim’s brother, says police contacted the family on Sunday to tell them about the arrest.
“Shocking and devastating to hear the way she was, how she was murdered and everything and I’m really glad the community, the public, homicide detectives came together and put everything into place and arrested and put closure to everything,” said Alex.
He says his sister recently completed treatment and had landed a full-time job.
“Just for all that to turn around and her life to get taken away from such a brutal person, for her to get murdered like that it’s totally uncalled for. I keep saying why us, why us?” said Alex, “She was happy about herself and she was just the most out-going person. She was happy that she completed this treatment program and that was her next goal was to turn around, to save up money and to get a place.”
He says she had four children and they are now staying with family members to help them get through this.
“I hope justice will do its thing and put this guy away for a long, long time,” he said.
Healy is expected to appear in court on February 17.
Baptiste is Calgary's fifth homicide of 2015.
