Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit charge 4 after 2020 Innisfail Homicide
The Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit have charged 4 individuals in relation to the 2020 homicide of 38-year-old Blackfalds resident Ryan James Gudwer.
During this four-year investigation, officers have undertaken a plethora of investigative steps including forensics, surveillance, obtaining judicial authorizations and speaking to witnesses.
On April 10, 2024, after consultation with Alberta Crown Prosecutors, RCMP received support to charge 4 individuals with second-degree-murder. As all four suspects had moved significant distances since the murder, the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit began project K-Nova designed to locate and safely arrest each suspect. Supporting Units Codiac RCMP (New Brunswick), Abbotsford Police Department (B.C), and the RCMP Red Deer GIS/Intel Team were asked to assist.
On April 16, 2024, RCMP arrested Red Deer resident Cory William Hales (44) in Red Deer. Hales has been taken before a Justice of the Peace and remanded into custody, with his next court date set for May 3, 2024 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.
On April 18, 2024, RCMP arrested Thomas Jeffrey Houle (27) in Calgary. Houle has been taken before a Justice of the Peace and remanded into custody, with his next court date set for May 7, 2024 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.
On April 19, 2024, RCMP with the assistance of Abbotsford Police Service arrested Abbotsford resident Amber Loretta Knickle(25) in Maple Ridge. Knickle has been remanded into custody and transported back to Alberta where she is awaiting her next court date.
On April 20, 2023, RCMP arrested Moncton resident Mathieu Bilodeau (45) in Moncton. Bilodeau has been remanded into custody and has been transported back to Alberta where he is awaiting his next court date.
“Since this crime our suspects relocated to different locations which presented unique challenges to our investigators” said Cpl. John Brown of the Alberta Major Crimes Unit, “With close coordination with our policing partners we were able to effectively locate and arrest each suspect.”
