Calgary Police Cancel Dangerous Person Alert After Suspect in Double Homicide Found Dead

Police tape marks a crime scene in Calgary, on Oct. 18, 2023. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

Calgary police have called off a “dangerous person alert” issued on Dec. 30 after locating the body of the primary suspect in a weekend double homicide.

Benedict Kaminski, 38, was found deceased near his vehicle in the rural area of Water Valley, about 60 kilometres northwest of Calgary, around 3:40 p.m. on Dec. 30, Calgary police said in a statement.

The dangerous person alert for Kaminski was triggered after police discovered the bodies of two people—a man in his 70s and a woman in her 30s—on Dec. 29. An officer told reporters on Dec. 30 that the victims were found at different locations, with the man in Cochrane and the woman in Tuscany.

While the identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed, police believe them to be Kaminski’s wife and her father, Calgary Police Service Insp. Lee Wayne said during the Dec. 30 press conference. Police said autopsies for both victims are scheduled for Jan. 3, with no further information available at the time.

While the incident was believed to be domestic and targeted, Wayne said the police still decided to issue a warning about an armed suspect involved in the double homicide, calling for the public’s assistance. Calgary police also thanked the public for providing information that led to the discovery of Kaminski’s body.

In a separate case earlier this month, Calgary police are investigating a deadly assault involving 23-year-old victim Jelisa Maschki, whose body was found on the morning of Dec. 9 along the Nose Creek Pathway in northeast Calgary.

Police responded to a call on Dec. 9 around 4 a.m. near the 1100 block of 32 Avenue Northeast, where the woman was found showing signs of medical distress. She was transported to the hospital in life-threatening condition but later succumbed to her injuries.

An autopsy was conducted on Dec. 12 by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Police said the cause of Maschki’s death remains undetermined, and it is unclear whether she was the victim of an assault or a tragic accident.

“Although we are only a few days into this investigation, we currently have very limited evidence and are relying on the public to help put the pieces together,” Staff Sergeant Sean Gregson of the Calgary Police Homicide Unit said in a press release. “We are exploring all possibilities in this case with the hopes of providing answers for Jelisa’s loved ones.”