Prince George man facing three more murder charges
They were loved and they are missed, and now the man who has been charged with murdering them will have to face court, as well as the families of the daughters, mothers, sisters and friends of those he is accused of killing.
In a press conference Monday morning, Insp. Brendan Fitzpatrick with E Division Major Crime announced 21-year-old Cody Allan Legebokoff of Prince George has been charged with first degree murder in connection with the deaths of 35-year-old Jill Stacey Stuchenko, 35-year-old Cynthia Frances Maas and 23-year-old Natasha Lynn Montgomery.
He was arrested for these murders while in custody awaiting trial for the murder of 15-year-old Loren Donn Leslie from Fraser Lake.Legebokoff first came to the attention of police when a pair of officers noticed his vehicle coming out of a forestry service road last November. Stopping him lead to them discovering evidence which, in turn, concluded with them finding the body of Leslie.
"I would classify what happened that night as excellent police work by two young constables," Fitzpatrick said.Legebokoff was not a person who was "known to police" and only became a focus in the other homicides after that incident and the ensuing investigation.
"Mr. Legebokoff was not known to us. He had minor police contact if any at all. He had friends in the community. Many people are surprised by this."
Legebokoff, a 21-year-old Caucasian male, 6'2" and 220 lbs with blue eyes and blond hair, was also an avid user of social media, frequently using the name of 1CountryBoy.
Though Fitzpatrick said he could not comment on whether or not Legebokoff contacted any of the victims through online dating or social media sites, he did say the investigation is far from over.
Police are looking for the public's help advancing the investigation, and have released a photo of Legebokoff and the black 2004 GMC half ton he drove. They have also noted Legebokoff lived in Lethbridge, Ab. for a short time, from June 2008 to Aug. 2009. Police are particularly interested in information on Legebokoff between Oct. 2009 and Nov. 2010. A special tip line has been set up to take calls, 1-877-987-8477 (TIPS).
"We believe there are others out there that may have been in contact with Legebokoff or these victims and possess information that can assist our on-going investigation," Fitzpatrick said.
The investigation leading to the first degree murder charges involved about 12 investigators plus a number of support staff. The investigation, named E-Prelude, was a 10 month co-ordinated effort led by investigators from the North District Major Crime unit and the Prince George RCMP Detachment Serious Crime unit.
It included resources from around the province like support staff from E Division Serious Crime unit, the behavioural science group, the E Division interview team, criminal analysts and specialized RCMP forensic laboratories throughout the country. Investigators also used a forensic specialist from Pennsylvania, someone who is world renowned in a particular aspect of the science, to examine specifics of the evidence.
Victims:Jill Stuchenko: A mother and talented singer, she was reported missing Oct. 22, 2009. Her body was found Oct. 26, 2009 in a gravel pit off of Otway Road.Cynthia Maas: A mother reported missing by friends on Sept. 23, 2010. Her body was found Oct. 9, 2010 in LC Gunn Park.Natasha Montgomery: A mother originally from Quesnel who'd been living in the Prince George area and who was reported missing when she failed to connect with family after a number of weeks. Her body has not been recovered but investigative findings have resulted in a murder charge in relation to her disappearance. Loren Donn Leslie: A legally blind 15-year-old girl who knew Legebokoff. It was the discovery of her body, recently dumped by Legebokoff, that lead to RCMP focussing on him and investigating him for the other murders.
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