Edmonton

Newlywed husband charged in wife's stabbing death

An Edmonton man is charged with murder in the stabbing death of his wife of just five months.

Edmonton man drove off road in suicide attempt, source tells CBC News

Jimmy Rivas-Magana and Yeny Alfaro celebrate their marriage last March in a Facebook photo. (Facebook)

An Edmonton man is charged with murder in the stabbing death of his wife of just five months.

Jimmy Rivas-Magana, 26, was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder of Yeny Alfaro, also 26.

On July 21, police were called to the trailer at the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in southeast Edmonton where the couple lived.

There, they found Alfaro dead from a single stab wound to the chest.

Court documents reveal police believe Alfaro was killed the day before she was found.

"We obviously came to the conclusion — or we have evidence to support that that offence actually occurred on the 20th — and that was the basis why those warrants were sworn for that date," said Det. Ryan Tebb from the homicide unit.

An arrest warrant was issued for Rivas-Magana four days later, but he was not charged until yesterday.

Sources tell CBC News it appears Rivas-Magana tried to take his own life by driving off the road near Morley, Alta.

Rivas-Megana suffered serious back injuries in the single-vehicle crash.

His release from hospital yesterday allowed police to interview and charge him.

On her Facebook site, Alfaro called marrying Rivas-Magana last March "the best moment of my life." 

With files from CBC's Janice Johnston