Four days after she was reported missing, the body of Kwikwetlem First Nation band council member Stephanie Patterson was found in a rural area of Mission. She was 44.
RCMP’s homicide investigation team has been deployed to Coquitlam, according to a release from the department.
Patterson was spotted leaving her home near Colony Farm Road and Lougheed Highway at about 6:30 p.m. Friday evening.
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Police arrested a man in connection with Patterson’s disappearance on Monday. On Tuesday, that man was arrested in relation to the murder, according to a statement from the RCMP.
Coquitlam RCMP previously stated that “foul play” was a possibility in Patterson’s disappearance.
Kwikwetlem Chief Ron Giesbrecht and Councillor George Chaffee thanked Coquitlam RCMP in a joint statement. The two also asked for privacy and respect for Patterson’s family.
“At this time we ask for respect and privacy for the family in their grief and suffering as we heal together as a community. We ask the public and media to also respect our space and land as we continue on our healing journey,” Giesbrecht and Chaffee stated.
Anyone who needs support is encouraged to reach out to Coquitlam RCMP’s Victim Services, stated Sgt. Timothy Pierotti, media relations officer for the RCMP’s homicide division.
A previous release from Coquitlam RCMP stated that Patterson may have been travelling with a 57-year-old man in a 2019 white Honda Ridgeline. The man and vehicle have been found, according to police.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact RCMP at 1-877-551-4448 or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
