Alberta mother killed in apartment explosion
Disabled woman’s death being treated as homicide
RCMP investigate an explosion that killed a 23-year-old woman in a townhouse in Innisfail on Friday, November 25, 2011.
Photograph by: Christina Ryan, Calgary Herald
INNISFAIL — The mysterious death of a 23-year-old mother in a wheelchair has residents of Innisfail baffled and police asking people to be aware of any unexplained packages sent to their homes.
The woman’s death is being treated as a homicide by RCMP, who are investigating if a package sent to her fourplex apartment suddenly exploded.
Police say at 9 a.m. Friday, she and her caregiver were in the 51st Avenue apartment and the blast was contained inside the unit.
It killed the 23-year-old, who was not known to police.
Police have not released the woman’s name, but friends identified her as Vicky Shachtay, the mother of a six-year-old daughter.
She’s been in a wheelchair for a few years after a car crash.
“She was always there to help,” said friend Alex Hiscocks, who saw her last on Thursday evening.
He’s shocked that someone would try to hurt the woman, who was a regular fixture in her church community.
“It’s Vicky. She’s the nicest person you’d ever meet,” he said from the gas station where she used to work.
Police say they know from the caregiver, a woman in her 30s, that a package was in the apartment.
Police bomb experts from Edmonton and Ottawa will determine if the package was the source of the blast.
“At this time, we do not know what caused the explosion,” said RCMP spokesman Sgt. Patrick Webb.
Mayor Jim Romane said the town of 8,000 people is stunned.
“It’s come as quite a shock to the town,” said Romane.
“It’s a small town. I think everybody’s thoughts and prayers go out with the family.”
Police say the death is being treated as a homicide until they learn differently.
They’re also telling people to exercise caution.
“We want people to be aware about unexpected deliveries of unexplained packages, but at the same time we don’t want people to be absolutely apprehensive. We have nothing to indicate this is continuing in any way but we do want people to be aware,” said Webb.
People who live in the area said they couldn’t believe what had happened.
“You wouldn’t expect that person to be the victim of something like that,” said Jay Currie.
“She’s in a wheelchair and has a six-year-old daughter and something like this happens?”
Esther Christenson said she heard the explosion but said it wasn’t very loud from her home behind the apartment complex.
“It sounded like a pile of lumber falling down. It didn’t sound like a shot or anything,” she said.
“It’s kinda scary. I don’t know who would do something like that,” said Christenson.
She said the building only opened in the last few months, so the victim would have just moved in.
Police cordoned off a large swath around the apartment and had 30 officers participating in the investigation.
“We’re not leaving any stone unturned,” said Webb.
Investigators have ruled out a natural gas explosion.
Police have not officially released the victim’s name.
smassinon@calgaryherald.com`
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