A rural Alberta councillor has been found dead and his wife now faces murder charges in relation to his demise earlier this month.
Cypress County councillor Alf Belyea was last seen on Oct. 8 and Redcliff RCMP issued a missing person notice on Oct. 12, following Thanksgiving weekend.
The Suffield resident had recently been acclaimed in his Ward 9 constituency representing the northeastern corner of the southern Alberta rural municipality.
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According to court documents, his wife, Deborah Murril Belyea, 68, was charged with second-degree murder on Oct. 16. RCMP officers were seen outside the couple’s home after the arrest as they searched the residence in hazmat suits.
Belyea is also facing allegations of interfering with human remains, presumably from improperly disposing of his body. She remains in custody following her first court appearance on Oct. 18.
Belyea was to begin his third council term later this year after first being elected in 2014.
In a statement from Cypress County, the municipality offered its condolences to the man’s daughters while expressing heartbreak at the news of their colleague’s death.
“I am incredibly shocked and saddened to learn of Alf’s passing. He was a dear friend. We spent countless hours on the golf course,” said county reeve Dan Hamilton in a statement.
“Everyone at the county will miss his kind spirit, devotion to his work, and love for the county and the community of Suffield.”
Second-degree murder carries a maximum life sentence with no chance of parole for a minimum of 10 years.
RCMP are not commenting on the details of the man’s death as the matter is now before the courts.
Contact alex.mccuaig@producer.com
