Last Updated: 16th February 2010, 12:14pm
The province’s Special Investigations Unit is writing its first report into the grisly Jan. 14 murder-suicide deaths of an Ottawa couple, said SIU spokeswoman Monica Hudon.
Once complete, the report will work its way up the chain of command from the investigator to the SIU director, Ian D. Scott.
“At any of those levels they can send it back to the investigator for more info,” Hudon said, adding the investigation will be complete when the director makes his decision.
The probe was prompted after Ottawa police discovered the bodies of Andrew Ferguson, 33, and girlfriend Ashley Boudreau, 24, at the couple's Cambridge St. South apartment after a concerned person called 911.
Boudreau was stabbed through the heart before her killer, Ferguson, took his own life.
Police Chief Vern White filed a chief's complaint Jan. 18 after it was discovered that police had visited the same residence nine days before the deaths were discovered on a domestic disturbance call.
The SIU is investigating the actions of police when responding to that call at 4:48 a.m. Jan. 7, the same morning of the funeral for slain officer Const. Eric Czapnik. Czapnik had been killed in an unrelated incident a week earlier.
The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency that investigates whenever there is a death, serious injury or allegation of sexual assault involving the police. It can also be prompted, as in the case, by a chief’s complaint.
Hudon could not say when the report will be released.
- with files from Kenneth Jackson
This story will be interpreted in very different ways by anyone with an
interest who will see what they want to see. The story sounds like the police
did not follow 'standard procedures' and "arrest someone", usually him. To the
police, its an allegation that they were more concerned about a funeral and did
not want to act. Both of which are possible but unlikely.
Its a class example of "availability heuristic".
Murderers generally have some mental illness, "madmen or madwomen".
Its an appropriate time to remember OPP Detective Dave Lucio who was murdered by
his girlfriend Constable Kelly Johnson or, NFL Quarterback Steve MacNair who was
murdered by his girlfriend.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com