Man charged with 1st-degree murder in Chipman double homicide
Mark Elley, 42, of Chipman, accused in burnt-out SUV deaths of Robert Waugh, 47, and Victoria King, 23
A 42-year-old man from Chipman has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two people whose bodies were discovered in a burnt-out SUV in the community in November, RCMP say.
Mark Elley is accused of killing Robert Waugh, 47, and Victoria King, 23, both of the Fredericton area.
Chipman RCMP responded Nov. 25 at around 8 a.m. to a report of two people inside a burning vehicle off Midland Road, about 60 kilometres northeast of Fredericton.
When officers arrived, they located the bodies of a man and woman inside a white Chevrolet Equinox "that had been consumed by fire."
On Jan. 6, RCMP released the names of Waugh and King as the victims in the double homicide.
On Sunday, members of the major crime unit, West District RCMP and the Emergency Response Team arrested a man without incident at a residence on Route 123 in Chipman, New Brunswick RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Hans Ouellette said in a news release.
Elley appeared in Fredericton provincial court Monday and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Waugh and King, he said.
Ouellette could not say whether the accused and victims were known to each other, or whether the accused is known to police, citing the court case and continuing investigation.
He also declined to confirm whether the victims were killed by the fire.
"Those will all be details that will be part of that ongoing court case that I'd be remiss if I were to, you know, reveal any further details in reference to that," he said.
"Very important for the victims and for the family of the victims to be able to get justice. And I would not want to jeopardize that justice."
Ouellette did say tips and information from the community helped lead to the arrest, but he declined to discuss specifics.
He hopes the arrest brings some relief to area residents, he said.
"We understand that for the community of Chipman and the surrounding area that this was a matter of great concern, and we, the RCMP and the major crime unit, made it — and continue to make it — its top priority in that region."
Ouellette could not say if additional charges or arrests are expected, but investigators are still asking anyone with information about the case to contact the major crime unit at 1-888-506-7267 or Crime Stoppers.
Elley remains in custody and is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 10.