PG’s homicide total reaches eight following updates in suspicious death investigations

Police in Prince George confirmed a pair of suspicious death investigations from earlier this month are now being investigated as homicides.

The first incident occurred on July 17th on the 1500 block of Victoria Street where officers found a deceased woman inside.

The second file centered on a residence in the 2100 block of Upland Street a day later on the 18th.

PG RCMP found the body of a 22-year-old woman inside. The file was initially reported as a home invasion and an adult man was taken into custody by police in connection to the file on July 21st.

This brings the total number of homicides in Prince George to eight for 2023 after tallying just five all of last year.

“Investigators in the Serious Crime Unit and Forensic Identification Section are working tirelessly as they continue to move both investigations forward. We are also working closely with the families that have been affected by these tragedies, helping to support them in their time of grief,” stated Cpl. Jennifer Cooper.

PG’s string of murders first began in February following the death of a woman on the 500 block of 17th Avenue – that file was first reported as a suspicious death by police.

Ten days later (February 14th), police were then called to a disturbance at a Lansdowne Road residence where they again discovered a deceased woman inside.

Subsequently, the RCMP’s Serious Crimes Unit arrested and charged 23-year-old Prince George resident Danika Payou in relation to the incident.

PG’s tallied its third homicide (March 7th) following an altercation at an apartment building on the 1500 block of Queensway.

One person was found deceased at the scene and was initially classified as a suspicious death. 

Less than a month later (April 1st), the Prince George RCMP responded to a report of someone in medical distress at a residence on the 2200 block of Quince Street.

A man was found deceased at the location and the was later treated as a homicide.

On April 19th, James Archibald Webb was found in a rural location approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Prince George.

The Serious Crimes Unit took control of that file and was classified as a targeted event.

Webb was also reported missing by the PG RCMP in March.

Lastly, local police upgraded a violent home invasion on the 300 block of Nicholson Street to a homicide after a man succumbed to his life-threatening injuries.

In addition, a woman was also located with severe, but non-life-threatening injuries.

At the time, both people were taken to the hospital by BC Emergency Health Services.