Charges laid in connection to 2022 homicide in Edmonton
Posted April 14, 2025 3:16 pm.
Edmonton police say charges have been laid in connection to a murder investigation from Dec. 2022.
EPS says on Dec. 28, 2022, officers responded to a report of a drug overdose near 79 Street and 118 Avenue.
When they arrived, they found a man, who was later identified as 60-year-old Joseph Mercier, already dead. At the time, his death was deemed suspicious.
The Edmonton Medical Examiner completed a toxicology report in March 2023, and confirmed the cause of death was due to fentanyl toxicity, adding the manner of death was accidental.
A short time later, police reopened the investigation after someone came forward with new information.
“When witnesses come forward, it can make all the difference for an investigation and can help provide a measure of resolve to the people who are trying to understand what happened to a loved one,” says Det. Sylvie Boy with the EPS’ Homicide Section.
“It is incredibly important to speak to police if you see something that doesn’t look or feel right.”
On Mar. 26, police took 40-year-old Morgan Churchill into custody and charged her with second degree murder. Police add that Churchill and Mercier were known to each other prior to his death.
