Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have announced that they have elevated the charges in relation to the killing of 34-year-old Christo Allison Richards, who was discovered with fatal injuries in a Perth park in April. The incident occurred on April 12 when authorities responded to a distress call at Last Duel Park and discovered Richards with severe injuries. Despite efforts to save him, Richards succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Following the initial investigation, OPP charged two Ottawa residents, Joseph Madore, 34, and Brayton Kennedy, 28, with second-degree murder in late April. However, in a recent statement released on Thursday, OPP revealed that these charges have been upgraded to first-degree murder, indicating that the alleged crime was premeditated and deliberate in nature.
Both Madore and Kennedy are currently evading authorities, with Madore potentially located in rural British Columbia and Kennedy possibly in New Brunswick. Additionally, in May, Michael Lewis, aged 46, was apprehended and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Subsequently, a 32-year-old woman from Ottawa was arrested in British Columbia in June and charged with being an accessory after the fact to the murder.
For more information, you can refer to the original source.