Chris's Crime Forum

A 19-year-old Grande Prairie woman was reported missing by a family member June 13, having last been seen by a friend two days prior, on June 11.


Alysa Zatelny is described as being five feet, 11 inches and 150 pounds, with short blonde hair and hazel eyes that she tends to wear blue contact lenses over. She is of athletic build and has piercings on her eyebrow and bottom lip and a tattoo of multi-coloured stars between her shoulder blades.


She also has a mole under her right eye.


Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Zatelny at this time.


“It’s difficult to know what has happened with Alysa,” said Cpl. Carol McKinley of the Grande Prairie RCMP.


“We’re attempting to put together the locations where she was over those last few days before contact was lost with her.”

Zatelny’s family has issued the following message through police:


“Alysa, could you please call one of us to let us know you are okay. We love you.”


Anyone with any information as to Zatelny’s whereabouts is asked to contact their local RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

RCMP Major Crimes investigators are assisting Grande Prairie Mounties after human remains were found in a wooded area.

The remains were found in the bush on the south end of Grande Prairie and the addition of investigators from an outside RCMP unit suggests foul play may be suspected in the death.

RCMP have not revealed the gender or how long the body may have been where it was found. They have been looking for thirty three year old Jody Rae Hockett who vanished in late February.

Hockett led a high risk lifestyle and was last seen getting into a car outside a Grande Prairie hotel.

More recently, RCMP have been trying to find nineteen year old Alysa Zatelny, who was last seen on June 11th. Her disappearance is described as out of character.

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This has not been confirmed by the police yet,but here is a post from Facebook.

It's with very sad news to report that a very good friend of Alysa's brother just confirmed the remains found were indeed Alysa's. Please say prayers for her family. I am heartbroken as while I knew this was a possibility I did hold hope that it was not Alysa. I am sure there will be media news shortly. A beautiful young woman...gone too soon. May she rest in the arms of the Lord and watch over her family during this awful time. Just so sad.

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Two days after human remains were found south of the city, police and some businesses in the vicinity of the discovery were not commenting on the grisly discovery.


Grande Prairie RCMP said the remains were found in a wooded area at the end of Range Road 61, south of Bear Creek Park late Sunday night.


The area where the remains were found is a mixture of treed lots, a ravine and open fields with tall grass.


A foot bridge nearby connects the area to Bear Creek Park and further south of the site is an industrial park in the County of Grande Prairie.


A number of businesses in the county industrial park contacted by the Daily Herald-Tribune, adjacent to Range Road 61, would not comment.


Aquatera Utilities, which owns the water treatment plant at the end of the range road and the sanitary sewer landfill up the road, would also not comment.

“We will help the RCMP to the extent we can, recognizing our facilities are in the general area,” said Bernd Manz, Aquatera’s general manager.


Police continue their investigation.


An autopsy will be conducted on the remains, but its timeline has yet to be determined.


Grande Prairie RCMP Cpl. McKinley said a positive identification of the remains is expected through the autopsy.


She added they have at least two missing people on file.


Alysa Zatelny, 19, and Jodi Hockett, 33 are still missing. The RCMP has not said if there are connections between the remains and any missing person.

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Teens charged after discovery of human remains in Grande Prairie

A 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man from Grande Prairie, Alta., each face a charge of indignity to a body in relation to the discovery of human remains in a wooded area at the south end of Grande Prairie on Sunday, RCMP reported Thursday.

The male is also facing three charges of breach of recognizance.

The medical examiner has not yet released the cause of death or made a positive identification of the human remains, Cpl. Carol McKinley said.

"We'll consider all missing persons relative to this investigation," she said.

Earlier this month, 19-year-old Alysa Zatelny was reported missing in the Grande Prairie area, and in February 33-year-old Jodi Hockett Smith was reported missing.

Further information about the case is expected to be released by the RCMP later Thursday.

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Mounties are charging a 14-year-old girl and young man with doing an indignity to a body found dumped in the Grande Prairie wilderness.

Last night, the victim's identity had not been confirmed as friends of Alysa Zatelny, a missing Grande Prairie woman, clung to hope the 19-year-old would be found safely.

"I still have hope," said Meg Edgerton of her friend Zatelny, who was last seen June 11.

"It's faint hope but I still have it. I still carry it with me."

Grande Prairie RCMP said yesterday a 21-year-old Grande Prairie man and 14-year-old girl were each facing a charge of committing an indignity to the body found in a wooded area of southern Grande Prairie last Sunday.

The man is also facing three charges of breaching the conditions of his parole.

An autopsy on the body was done earlier this week in Edmonton but key results have not been confirmed, said a medical investigator.

"Identification has not been confirmed ... we're still waiting to get some records so we can firm that up," said Ted Pretty.

"The remains were decomposed, so we obviously can't use visual means to confirm someone's identity at that stage. We're left with either dental or medical records or something like that to compare. At this time of year, (decomposition) can happen a lot more quickly than you might expect ... even within a few days someone wouldn't be recognizable."

Pretty added the question of cause of death will likely be answered when the question of identity is answered.

"We have a lead (on) who we think it could be," said Pretty. "If it's not, then we're back to the drawing board, needing new records, so it could be longer."

Zatelny is one of two women who have recently gone missing in Grande Prairie.

The other is 33-year-old Jodi Hockett, who disappeared four months ago after reportedly getting into a small car outside the York Hotel.

Her sister, Debra Stoner, confirmed police made contact following the discovery of the body, but could not speak to what the context of that contact was, under advice of the RCMP.

She added, however, that Hockett's family still wants to know the truth behind her disappearance and recent events have not changed that.

"The fact that something has happened to another girl has shed some light ... to us as a family, it has brought it even closer to home," said Stoner.

"It's the reality that something like this has happened, whether it's in our family or in someone else's family."

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After a delay while awaiting dental and medical records, Tuesday the medical examiner’s office in Edmonton formally identified the human remains found June 21, south of Bear Creek Park, as Alysa Zatelny.


The 19-year-old Grande Prairie girl was reported missing by family June 13, said to have last been seen June 11.


Her body was discovered in a wooded area at the end of Range Road 61 – a mixture of treed lots, a ravine and open fields with tall grass near a footbridge connecting the area to Bear Creek Park.

An autopsy was conducted on the body June 23, but medical investigator Ted Pretty said at that time decomposition slowed the process of firming up the identity.


Tuesday’s announcement, issued by the Grande Prairie RCMP on behalf of the medical examiner, comes on the heels of Judge Brian Hougestol’s naming of Zatelny in connection to the body Monday. Hougestol identified the body as Zatelny while reading aloud the charge against one of two individuals arrested.


Christopher Podruzny, 21, and a 14-year-old girl were arrested and charged June 24 with indignity to a body. Podruzny was also charged with three counts of breaching recognizance terms when he was arrested.

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Indignity to a body does not necessarily link someone to a death. RCMP say Zatelny's death is being treated as suspicious but no other charges have been laid.


Police laid the charges against Podruzny and the 14-year-old under what Cpl. Carol McKinley of the Grande Prairie RCMP called reasonable and probably grounds based on information gathered through investigation.


She said the medical examiner’s confirmation of the body’s identity as being Zatelny is an affirmation.


“This avenue is now a certainty for us,” said McKinley. “We do rely heavily on working with the medical examiner to positively identify persons within any investigation.”


She also said the confirmation could offer closure to Zatelny’s family, in a sense.


Podruzny remains in police custody and did not yet have a lawyer representing him when he appeared Monday. He will next appear July 15. The 14-year-old is free on bail, under terms including a curfew and mandatory residence with her mother. She has a lawyer and will next appear July 13.


Both also have other matters within the court system, currently set for trial.

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Christopher Podruzny’s trial for robbery, weapon and drug charges in Grande Prairie yesterday was put off due to a potential conflict of interest with the tragic Alysa Zatelny case.


Attorney Christian Banks, appearing as agent for Podruzny’s counsel, Kevin Gubbins, raised the subject before the court.


“There has been one development that has led to another, which is necessitating a request for an adjournment,” explained Banks.


“Mr. Gubbins represents Mr. Podruzny on this charge ... and a youth accused on other charges. The two of them are both recently jointly charged on a very serious matter.”


Podruzny, 21, and a 14-year-old girl who cannot be named were arrested the evening of June 24, following the discovery of 19-year-old Zatelny’s body south of Bear Creek Park on June 21.


She had been reported missing by family June 13 and last seen June 11.
Podruzny and the teenaged girl have been charged with indignity to a body.


Podruzny remains in custody.


“(Mr. Podruzny and the youth) could be called against each other, which would cause a conflict of interest ... (the Crown) has confirmed that possibility exists in this case, so Mr. Gubbins is in a position where he can’t continue to act for Mr. Podruzny,” said Banks.


Banks said, on the plus side, Podruzny does already have new counsel to handle his trial on the robbery, weapon and drug charges – Kent Teskey out of Edmonton.


Crown prosecutor Tom Hawkesworth said the Crown consented to the adjournment.


Outside the courtroom, Hawkesworth elaborated that this was not a surprise move, because the potential for conflict between the cases was known.


“I think Kevin Gubbins had seen that coming already, because Teskey was in touch with me about taking over the file and the adjournment before I mentioned the possibility (of the conflict),” said Hawkesworth.


Hawkesworth added it would be premature to say for certain the two charged with indignity to a body will be put against each other.


“I haven’t actually seen the statements ... so I don’t yet know which witness or witnesses will provide the Crown with some ammunition in terms of the complicity of (the youth),” said Hawkesworth.


“It is a possibility.”


Podruzny will next appear in court July 15.


The robbery, weapon and drug charges will be spoken to at that time for the purpose of scheduling a new trial date, and the indignity to a body charge will be spoken to for the purpose of determining if it can move forward.


Twenty-two-year-old Adam Strecheniuk is a co-accused of Podruzny in the robbery, weapon ands drug charges, and is charged with robbery and possession of a weapon.


Until now, Strecheniuk had been dealt with separately, but he is also set to appear July 15.

What does "indignity to a body" mean?
Why were they not more specific than that?
Are they talking about necrophilia?

I was wondering the same thing Bill.So I went and did some research,I "Think" it means that the police do not know exactly how the person dies yet so they charge them with indignity To A Body,which means they moved it,buried it or whatever.Until they can say how the person was killed they charge them with this.Usually it means they are waiting weeks on end for a tox or drug test to come back.Does that make sense?

Also the police in Canada are never specific about anything whatsoever,we never hear specifics until a trial is underway.