Calgary police charge man in 2001 homicide

Following a 16-year investigation, the Calgary Police Service has charged a man in the 2001 homicide of Paul HEPHER.

On Sunday, March 4, 2001, police were called to a residence in the 500 block of 19 Avenue N.W., after a man was discovered deceased in the basement suite of the residence. An autopsy confirmed the 50-year-old victim had died as a result of a shooting.

The early investigation revealed HEPHER had last been seen alive on the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2001. He was an amateur musician who had no criminal history and led a relatively quiet life. The Forensic Crime Scenes Unit did a thorough examination of the basement suite and identified numerous pieces of forensic evidence that were believed to be relevant to the investigation, however, did not identify any suspects at the time.

Three homicide operations took place since the death of HEPHER in hopes of identifying suspects and obtaining evidence to link the suspects to the scene. In early 2014, evidence was obtained and submitted to the lab for further examination. On May 21, 2014, the RCMP Crime Lab confirmed a match to some of the forensic evidence left at the scene. Although investigators now knew who they were looking for, the suspect could not be found.

After 22 months of searching, investigators were able to locate the suspect in Sherwood Park and the third homicide operation was initiated. Further investigative strategies were used to ensure the case had enough evidence to move forward with charges.

Investigators believe that the suspect and victim were known to one another, and that the victim was targeted for financial reasons.

On Thursday, April 13, 2017, Terrance Lane WARDALE, 61, was charged with second-degree murder. He will appear in court on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

The Homicide Unit would like to thank the numerous units within the CPS, as well as the many policing partners in Alberta and the RCMP for their assistance in this investigation.