Manchester Native Charged With Second-Degree Murder in Ontario

LONDON, Canada — Police in London, Ontario, have charged a Jamaican national with second-degree murder following the death of a woman last Friday.

The accused, Alton Farquharson, 56, who is originally from Manchester, Jamaica, is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

Investigators said the 47-year-old woman was discovered with a traumatic injury inside a residential unit at 297 Westminster Avenue in south London early Friday morning. She was rushed to hospital, where she later died. Her identity has not been released.

Police reported that a man who was known to the woman was taken into custody at the scene. However, the nature of their relationship has not been disclosed.

Several social media pages linked to Jamaica have claimed that the couple was married and that the man is a pastor from Mile Gully, Manchester. These claims have not been confirmed by the authorities.

The killing has been classified by investigators as a femicide, the gender-based killing of women and girls. Police said the victim’s identity is being withheld in keeping with the wishes of her family.

The case has attracted widespread attention in Ontario, with media coverage focusing on femicide-related violence and renewed calls for it to be treated as an epidemic.

London is a major city located in southwestern Ontario, Canada.