Police have charged a 42-year-old man with first-degree murder in the death of a woman who was found shot to death in downtown Edmonton over the weekend.
Priscilla McGreer, a local writer and college educator, was found inside a vehicle Saturday morning, suffering from fatal gunshot wounds.
Officers had been called to reports of gunshots in the area of 119th Street and Jasper Avenue just before 4:30 a.m., police said.
Streets along Jasper Avenue were shut down to traffic for several hours Saturday morning as part of the investigation.
Police charged Kyle Laumen, of Edmonton, with first-degree murder in McGreer’s death.
Laumen was also charged with aggravated assault and breach of probation.
In a statement Tuesday, officials with Edmonton’s NorQuest College said McGreer was a cherished member of the teaching faculty in their university transfer program, where she was a casual instructor.
“Priscilla was a well-respected and well-liked instructor and colleague. She was scheduled to teach English this semester,” the statement reads.
“Her loss, two days before the start of the fall term, is especially poignant. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, students and colleagues.
An autopsy was completed Monday and determined McGreer died of gunshot wounds and that the manner of her death was homicide, police said.
Police said McGreer and Laumen were known to one another. In a statement to CBC News Tuesday, police said the case is not being investigated as a femicide or as a domestic violence homicide.
Court records show Laumen has an extensive court record.
The accused pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a weapon on Oct. 21, 2013. He received a sentence of 36 months less 10 month credit for time served.
He was convicted in July 2023 for assault causing bodily harm and flight from police and sentenced to 120 days time already served.
His previous convictions include aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose for an incident in 2012. The following year, he was sentenced to a total of 36 months in custody and a lifetime firearm prohibition.
He was convicted in June 2013 for failure to comply with an undertaking, breach of of recognizance and for carrying a concealed weapon. He was sentenced to 60 days time served. He was also fined earlier that spring for causing a disturbance.
Court records in McGreer’s death show he is accused of carrying a prohibited weapon, breaking a court order barring from carrying a firearm and for aggravated assault for attacking another person who was at the scene.
McGreer’s death is among a string of suspicious deaths in the city over the long weekend that are now under investigation by the city’s homicide detectives.
Around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, officers were called to the area of 104th Street and 85th Avenue, responding to reports of a man in medical distress.
An 82-year-old man, found in the backyard of a nearby home, was taken to hospital where he died of his injuries. An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday.
On Sunday, around 7:30 a.m., a man’s body was found in Edmonton’s river valley. Police said his death is considered suspicious and an autopsy has been scheduled for Wednesday.
Later Sunday afternoon, police responded to another fatal scene. Firefighters responding to a house fire in the Montrose neighbourhood, in the area of in the area of 59th Street and 119th Avenue, found a body inside the burning home.
Police said no arrests have been made but detectives want to speak with a resident who captured a video of the fire that has been circulating on social media. An image of the video, shared by police, shows a house engulfed in flames overlaid with text that indicates that the fire was ignited after a verbal argument.
Investigators have not released any details on the identity of the deceased.
Anyone with information on the crimes is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
