The CPS Homicide Unit is investigating after a woman was found dead in a backyard in the city’s northeast on Sunday and police are looking for a 21-year-old man wanted on a first degree murder warrant.

Emergency crews were called to a home in the 1000 block of Maitland Drive N.E. at about 9:30 a.m. and found a woman in her 20s dead at the scene. Investigators believe the woman's death occurred at the residence.

Police believe her death was not the result of a random attack and a Canada-wide warrant has been issued for the arrest of Abderrahmane (Adam) Bettahar, who is associated to the home, to face a first degree murder charge.

“We believe the victim and the suspect where known to each other, however, at this time, we cannot divulge further details of their association or the potential motive for the murder until the victim is formally identified,” said CPS Staff Sergeant Colin Chisholm. “We do not believe anyone else was involved in this homicide.”

“We believe this was planned and deliberate.”

Bettahar is described as:

  • 183 cm (6’0”) tall
  • Slim build
  • Light skin
  • Brown hair
  • Brown eyes

Investigators say he is likely driving a 2004 dark blue Ford Explorer with the Alberta licence plate BZH 5688 and police suspect he has fled Calgary. “Based on the fact that we have not been able to locate him through all the leads that we have had to this point.”

According to Chisholm, weapons have not been recovered during the investigation and Bettahar should not be approached by members of the public. Anyone who may have seen Bettahar or the vehicle is asked to call 911.

Wasim El Turk lives across the street from the home where the woman’s body was found and says he heard a gunshot at about 4:10 a.m. “Most of us woke up when the gun shot,” he said. “There was minimum of two and highly likely three.”

El Turk says police collected security footage from his home and a few others in the area.

“Two persons at least at the scene, there was, kind of, confrontation between them and, I would image, the lady kept running away around the truck, the SUV, from him and then you see a good flash of two gunshots for sure as he’s running, trying to catch her. I would image he hit her the first time because you couldn’t see any movement until two, three minutes after that and then you see another flash on the houses.” he said. “It only lasted like a second so I would image that would have been the third gunshot.”

The identity of the deceased has not been released. The autopsy into her death, which was originally scheduled to take place on Monday, is expected to occur on Tuesday, March 27.

Anyone with information on this incident or the whereabouts of Bettahar is asked to call the Calgary Police Service non-emergency number at 403-266-1234, or the Homicide Tip Line at 403-428-8877. Tips can also be left anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers through either of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org