A man taken into custody yesterday following the discovery of what are believed to be the bodies of Jasmine LOVETT and Aliyah SANDERSON has been charged.
Robert Andrew LEEMING, 34, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. He will next appear in court on Tuesday, May 14, 2019.
The autopsies remain ongoing and formal identification of the victims will be released at the conclusion of the autopsies. Cause of death will not be released in this investigation.
No further updates are expected to be available in relation to this case today.
Backgrounders
Disappearance of Jasmine LOVETT and Aliyah SANDERSON
May 6, 2019 – At approximately 4 a.m., today, Monday, May 6, 2019, police located the bodies of a woman and child, believed to be that of Jasmine LOVETT and Aliyah SANDERSON, in Kananaskis.
The investigation led officers to a heavily wooded area near Grizzly Creek located off Highway 40, where the bodies were discovered. Autopsies are expected to begin today. Formal identification of the deceased will be done by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The cause of death of both victims is not expected to be released.
A suspect has been taken into custody and charges are pending. The suspect cannot be named by police until charges are officially laid by the Justice of the Peace. This is expected to occur later today, or tomorrow. However, police can confirm the suspect is the same man who was taken into custody two weeks ago.
To protect the integrity of this investigation and future court proceedings, police are unable to release details about what lead to the discovery of the bodies.
The Calgary Police Service would like to thank the many partner agencies, members of the public and the media for their assistance in the investigation and the search. We are grateful for the support of Calgarians.
An update will be provided to the media and public once charges have been laid by the Justice of the Peace and the victims have been formally identified by the OCME.
Lovett Family Statement
The following statement is being released on behalf of the Lovett Family.
“ Our family would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the entire Calgary Police Service as well as those who have worked diligently in the search for Jasmine and her baby girl Aliyah. We would also like to thank the public for their continued support which has meant a great deal to us. Our lives have been devastated and our hearts are heavy. We are trying to understand how this tragedy could have happened to our loved ones.”
~ Lovett Family
Source: Calgary Police Service
