INNISFAIL – More than four years after the homicide of Ryan James Gudwer at Innisfail’s Blue Bird Motel, Alberta’s Mounties have arrested four suspects in four different cities from one end of the country to another.
The four accused have all been charged with second-degree murder.
“Since this crime, our suspects relocated to different locations which presented unique challenges to our investigators,” said RCMP Cpl. John Brown of the Alberta Major Crimes Unit.
“With close coordination with our policing partners we were able to effectively locate and arrest each suspect.”
During the early morning hours of April 29, 2020, Gudwer, 38, of Blackfalds, was discovered at the Blue Bird Motel after Innisfail RCMP responded to a 911 call to assist EMS with a male in medical distress.
Gudwer was declared deceased on scene and the circumstances of his death were deemed suspicious.
However, RCMP Major Crimes quickly ruled the death a homicide and have been probing the case since.
In a media release issued on April 26, RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said the four-year probe has undertaken a multitude of investigative steps, including forensics, surveillance, obtaining judicial authorizations and speaking to witnesses.
On April 10, following consultation with Alberta Crown prosecutors, RCMP received the green light to charge four individuals with second-degree murder, said Savinkoff.
As all four suspects had moved significant distances since the murder, the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit began Project K-Nova designed to locate and safely arrest each suspect, he added.
Savinkoff said supporting units Codiac RCMP (New Brunswick), Abbotsford Police Department (B.C), and the RCMP Red Deer GIS/Intel Team were asked to assist in the investigation.
He said on April 16 RCMP arrested Red Deer resident Cory William Hales, 44, in Red Deer.
Savinkoff said Hales was taken before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody, with his next court date set for May 3 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.
On April 18, RCMP arrested Thomas Jeffrey Houle, 27, in Calgary, said Savinkoff, adding he was later taken before a justice of the peace and remanded into custody.
Houle’s next court date is set for May 7 at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer.
Savinkoff said on April 19 RCMP, with the assistance of Abbotsford Police Service, arrested Abbotsford resident Amber Loretta Knickle, 25, in Maple Ridge, B.C.
He said Knickle was remanded into custody and transported back to Alberta where she is awaiting her next court date.
Savinkoff said on April 20 RCMP arrested Moncton, New Brunswick resident Mathieu Bilodeau, 45, in Moncton.
He said Bilodeau has been remanded into custody and has been transported back to Alberta where he is awaiting his next court date.
