An Asian woman received murder charges in connection with the deaths of four people in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Yu Chieh Liao, 25, was charged with first-degree murder over the death of Hanock Afowerk, 26, and three counts of accessory over the deaths of Cody Pfeiffer, 25, and sisters Tiffany Ear and Glynnis Fox, 39 and 36, respectively.
Liao, believed to have played a “significant role” in the killings, appeared before a Calgary court on Wednesday.
Pfeiffer, Ear and Fox were found dead in a burned-out car on July 10, 2017, while Afowerk was found dead near a road two days later.
Liao, also known as Diana, was charged alongside 25-year-old Tewodros Mutugeta Kebede, who was also accused of being involved in an armed robbery on June 29, 2017.
Investigations revealed that the suspects and victims knew each other, according to Inspector Paul Wozney of the Calgary Police Service.
“All six of these people were known to one another. Investigative theories sometimes change,” he said, according to the CBC.
It is believed that the suspects might have burned clothing near the Canadian Forces base in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, or at a nearby airport.
Police previously thought that Pfeiffer, Fox and Ear were merely in the “wrong place at the wrong time,” only caught up in an attack that targeted Afowerk.
The sisters, described by family members as having “beautiful souls,” left behind 16 children between them.
Wozney said that the probe spanned multiple provinces and investigators took time to use court orders to follow leads, the Toronto Star noted.
Kebede was arrested two weeks after the bodies were found on unrelated drug charges. Liao, who was also wanted for fraud, was arrested a few days later.
Authorities suspect that multiple people were involved in the killings. Both suspects are set to appear in court on Nov. 2.
Photos via Calgary Police Service
