Edmonton sisters found in apartment were stabbed to death, police say

Two little girls whose bodies were found by police last week hidden in their mother's Edmonton apartment were stabbed to death, police said Monday in a news release.

One sister was six months old, and the other was three years old.

The mother of the two children remains in hospital recoveringfrom an assault.

The bodies of the two sisters were found Wednesday evening, concealed under a pile of household items in a storage room in a southeast Edmonton apartment suite.

Court documents identify the two children as Mackenzie Petawaysin and Mary Lafleche Petawaysin, and their mother as Tamara Petawaysin.

A 29-year-old man, who was the father of the six-month-old girl, has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

Ashton Brian Lafleche has also been charged with assault causing bodily harm against the children's mother. Lafleche was in a relationship with Tamara Petawaysin but did not live with her in the apartment where the children's bodies were found, police said.

• Sisters killed in Edmonton apartment were both younger than four
• Two children found dead in southeast Edmonton apartment suite

The apartment is in Allen Manor at 7920 71st St., in the King Edward Park neighbourhood.

Officers were initially called to the area around 5:30 p.m.Wednesday and found a woman in distress who had suffered serious injuries.

After interviewing the woman, police learned the name of a suspect and were told that two children were involved.

Officers returned to the woman's rental suite but were unable to locate the children, Affolder said.

About three hours later, another call to police reported an "an unclothed male" acting erratically. He had broken into a garage near 73rd Street and 80th Avenue.

A woman who spoke to CBC News said she heard someone in her garage on Wednesday and went out to look.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said she encountered a naked man.

She described him as catatonic and said he didn't speak. The woman said she gave him a blanket to cover himself until police arrived.

After questioning the man, police returned to the suite and found the children's bodies around 8:30 p.m.

Lafleche pleaded guilty in Stony Plain court on Oct. 31 to assaulting Petawaysin. The assault happened in mid-September. He also pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a probation order, and was fined $200 and placed on probation for 12 months.

Under the terms of his probation, Lafleche was ordered to have no contact with Petawaysin.

On Nov. 30, after pleading guilty to a breach of recognizance, he was sentenced to 20 days in jail. It's not clear why he was not in jail at the time of the offences.