Calgary man previously convicted of killing a woman charged in recent park death

Police have charged a man in the "disturbing" death of a Calgary woman whose body was found in a city park last month — and confirmed he had served time after pleading guilty to killing a woman in 2009.

Investigators said Thursday they've charged Christopher Ward Dunlop, 48, with second-degree murder and indignity to a body in the death of Judy Maerz, 58, who was found dead at Deerfoot Athletic Park on Feb. 16. 

"This was a very public and extremely disturbing murder," said Staff Sgt.Sean Gregson of the CPS homicide unit.

Police said Maerz and Dunlop were unknown to each other. They say the woman's body was set on fire after she was killed in what officers believe was an attempt to cover up the homicide.

Gregson said investigators believe her death happened at the park. 

He confirmed that the person charged is the same man convicted of killing Laura Furlan, who was found strangled in 2009 in Fish Creek Park.

He was arrested three years after Furlan's death following a lengthy investigation. 

A forensic analysis of Dunlop's online history from the day Furlan died found searches for "fingerprints on a dead body" and "methods for disposing a body using fire."

During his 2015 trial, Dunlop pleaded guilty to manslaughter and indignity to a body. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison, with 6½ years credit for the time already served.

"I think there's a lot of similarities between those two investigations. They weren't known to each other and I think it was an unfortunate circumstance where they met," Gregson told reporters Thursday. 

The staff sergeant said Maerz, a mother of two, was the victim of a tragic death.  

"Devastated. They've lost a mother. We spoke with the family this morning and they're just — somebody's been torn from their life," he said. 

"Not only her family, Laura Furlan's family as well. We've spoken with them, and I'm sure this is going to bring up a lot of horrible memories for them as well." 

Calgarians came forward with information and dashcam footage, Gregson said, following a public call for information, and investigators received some "key pieces of evidence." 

"Miss Maerz was found in a public park where people take their kids, take their dogs … people are going to their morning commutes," Gregson said. 

"There was a fire involved. It's not something that people are used to seeing when they're out in their normal course of their day." 

Gregson said police are still investigating how the two came to meet that night.