The body of a 39-year-old woman has been found on Quadra Island and her death is believed to be a homicide.
Officers with the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit are investigating.
Quadra Island RCMP went to a residence Jan. 16 to conduct a wellness check on the woman and found her dead inside.
Police say the death is believed to be criminal in nature, and the major crime unit and RCMP Forensic Identification Section are gathering evidence.
B.C. RCMP spokesman Cpl. Alex Bérubé said investigators believe the homicide was targeted. He said police do not believe there is any further risk to the public.
Robyn Mawhinney, a long-time Quadra Island resident and the area’s Strathcona Regional District director, said news of the homicide was a shock.
“In our small, tight-knit community, everyone is connected,” she said. “News like this is devastating and touches a lot of people. Out of respect for everyone involved I won’t comment any further at this time.”
Resident Michael Mascall said police were knocking on doors in his neighbourhood last week looking for things like video footage, but they didn’t say what it was about. “It’s very unusual that this sort of thing happens on Quadra Island,” he said.
Quadra Island has approximately 2,700 year-round residents and is about a 10-minute ferry ride from Campbell River.
Anyone with information is asked to call the major crime unit at 250-380-6211.
