Third person charged with first-degree murder in Lethbridge motel death turns herself in: police

A photo of Melissa Christelle Tidlund, 23, of Pincher Creek, who was charged with first-degree murder in the death of a woman in Lethbridge on Dec. 26, 2024. (Courtesy: Lethbridge Police Service)

A third person who was charged with first-degree murder after a woman was found dead in a Lethbridge motel room over the weekend has turned herself in, police said late Friday night.

On Dec.28, police responded to a motel in the 2200 block of Seventh Avenue South, where they found a woman dead inside a ground-floor room.

The victim was identified as Christina Webber.

Two men were arrested in relation to Webber’s death, and an arrest warrant was issued for 23-year-old Melissa Christelle Tidlund.

Police say Tidlund turned herself in on Friday evening.

Following investigation, police determined that two men and a woman who were known to Webber visited her room at the motel. She died following an "interaction" involving a gun.

Police said the three people took property from the room and fled in an SUV, which was later parked in the 500 block of Seventh Avenue South and set on fire.

An autopsy was performed by a medical examiner in Calgary, which confirmed the death as a homicide.

"(Christina's) death was a result of a firearm," said Staff Sgt. Pete Christos.

"We're still working through (a motive). As you can appreciate, the investigation is still ongoing and we have a lot of information to go through, and we're following up with every lead that we were given."

Police arrested a 28-year-old man on Dec. 29, as he was leaving the Lethbridge Correctional Centre following an unrelated weekend sentence.

Then on Dec. 30, a 36-year-old man was arrested at a home in the 200 block of 19 Street North following a short standoff with police.

Drew Austin Waters, 28, of Cranbrook, B.C., was charged with first-degree murder, arson to property and possession of a prohibited firearm.

He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 27.

Kyle Douglas Doddridge, 36, of Lethbridge, was charged with first-degree murder and arson to property. He was also remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 8.

Tidlund, of Pincher Creek, is also charged with first-degree murder and arson to property.

With files from Karsen Marczuk