British Columbia

RCMP announce charges in 26-year-old unsolved Vancouver homicide

Steven Laroche, arrested in Oakville, Ont., has been charged with the 1993 murder of Vicki Black.

Vicki Black, 23, was murdered in 1993 in Vancouver

Vicki Black, 23, was found murdered in Vancouver in 1993. (B.C. RCMP)

B.C. RCMP have announced charges in a cold case homicide dating back to 1993. 

Steven Laroche, born in 1968, has been charged with the second degree murder of Vicki Black, 23.

Black was found dead in Vancouver in early March 1993, wrapped in a sheet and left in a dumpster near Hastings Street and Victoria Drive.

Chief Superintendent Manny Mann, officer-in-charge of the BC RCMP Major Crime Section, said the Vancouver Police Department referred the case to the Provincial Unsolved Homicide Unit. 

Police say the team was able to continue the investigation and eventually gather more evidence to support the charges against Laroche.

He was arrested in Oakville, Ont. and appeared in Vancouver court on Friday morning and remains in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday.

Supt. Cita Airth with the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement the department hopes Friday's charges will bring closure to Vicki's friends and family. 

Her family also released a statement thanking the police and investigators for the arrest. 

"Vicki was a loving daughter, sister, mother, and friend ... The family will not be making any further statements. We ask everyone to respect this decision and our privacy."