On Dec. 25, 1996, police were called to 24-year-old Joanne Ghostkeeper’s apartment at 34 Street and 119 Avenue after her family had been unable to reach her and became concerned. She was found deceased inside the apartment. A Dec. 26, 1996 autopsy determined her cause of death was strangulation, and the manner of death was homicide.
While numerous exhibits were tested forensically over the years, a confirmed match to a suspect could not be made. On Oct. 22, 2022, the RCMP forensic laboratory re-examined the exhibits and a male DNA profile was generated.
This DNA profile was linked to Brayan Boucher, 48. On Jun. 14, 2023, Boucher was arrested and charged with first degree murder. Boucher, who was 22 at the time of the murder, was known to Joanne Ghostkeeper.
“Our hearts go out to Joanne’s family and friends. This was a tragic file that has plagued them with grief and unanswered questions for 27 years,” says Det. Kevin Harrison, with the EPS Historical Crimes Section. “Thanks to the tenacity of the forensic specialists at the RCMP lab and the EPS investigative team, we have at long last been able to provide some answers to those questions, and hopefully some degree of closure for her loved ones.”
Boucher’s DNA profile is now in the national data bank, and will be referenced against other historical forensic files.