VANCOUVER - Police in Vancouver say they have gathered important evidence related to the city's first murder of 2023 and are releasing a photograph of a female suspect as they seek more clues.
The statement from Vancouver police says 34-year-old Jeff Jeanty died in a suspicious fire on Jan. 3, but due to the "sensitive nature" of the investigation, few details could be provided at the time.
The statement says homicide detectives spent more than a month searching for evidence around the outdoor fire that happened in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.
DNA evidence confirmed Jeanty's identity and police hope the public can identify the suspect, whose photo was captured by surveillance camera near the homicide at around the time the man died.
The woman, in her 20s with a fair complexion, is described as 5’8” tall, with a small to medium build.
Members of the homicide unit want to talk to anyone who may know the woman, described as having long dark hair in a ponytail, and wearing mainly black clothing with a black ball cap and white logo.
