WARNING: The details in this story are disturbing. Discretion is advised.
The man charged with indignity to human remains in the case of a missing Maple Ridge, B.C., woman is now charged with murder.
Mylie Andre Barron, 48, was charged with second-degree murder on Tuesday, according to the BC Prosecution Service.
The remains of 43-year-old Jessica Cunningham were found last August inside a home the two of them shared.
According to an agreed statement of facts read by the Crown in court previously, Barron and Cunningham had lived in the upper unit of a home on Gillis Place in Maple Ridge since early 2024.
The court heard the couple frequently used illicit drugs, including cocaine and meth.
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On July 25, the landlord called police for a wellness check as Cunningham hadn’t been heard from for over a month and Barron wouldn’t open the door.
Crown says police attended and Barron indicated Cunningham was in Victoria.
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On Aug. 20, police took a statement from Barron, who gave them Cunningham’s cellphone.
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Six days later, Barron allowed police to search the home, knowing the Crown says that Cunningham’s remains were in a freezer.
When a human arm was found in a garbage bag in a standalone deep freezer, Barron, who told police he no longer consented to the search, was arrested.
Police returned with a warrant the next day.
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On Sept. 1, the court heard the body in the freezer was confirmed to be Cunningham’s.
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Crown says the body was washed, bent at the waist and secured with duct tape so it would fit in the garbage bag. The head was wrapped separately.
Barron has pleaded guilty to interfering with Cunningham’s remains, but the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says that additional evidence has allowed them to recommend the murder charge.
“In this case, we did gather the best evidence available and it did meet the threshold for second-degree murder,” Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT said.
“This is a tragic case and the details were hard to hear for the police and her family and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.”
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