Last week, EPS investigators were notified by Ridge Meadows RCMP in B.C. that Lacarte had been arrested for mischief on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 in the Metro Vancouver Area. Police subsequently determined that Lacarte had been living under an alias in B.C.
Lacarte was transported to Edmonton, where he was charged with second degree murder and possession of an offensive weapon on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020.
“The EPS is grateful to our RCMP counterparts for locating this suspect, thereby helping us to conclude this ongoing investigation and provide some resolution to the family and friends of Mr. Karahalios,” says Staff Sergeant Ryan Tebb, EPS Historical Crimes Section.
When police were unable to locate Lacarte following the issuing of Canada-wide warrants in 2014, the EPS also initiated a parallel missing persons investigation. Both the homicide and missing persons investigations remained active through the ensuing years.
Background
Just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 8, 2014, Downtown Division officers were called to the report of a deceased male at a residence in the area of 102 Avenue and 120 Street.
On Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2014, the Edmonton Medical Examiner’s Office completed an autopsy on the deceased, Demetrios Karahalios, 48. It was determined that the manner of death was homicide. The cause of death was not released.
On July 8, 2014, the EPS announced it had issued a Canada-wide warrant for Richard Lacarte for second-degree murder in connection with the death of Karahalios.