The RCMP in Nova Scotia has now confirmed a man who shot and killed his wife before taking his own life in a case of intimate partner violence last month was a former member of the RCMP who retired in 2014.
Mounties had originally stated they were bound by the Privacy Act when not releasing any identifying information about the two people found dead in an Enfield home on Oct. 18.
All they had said was that a 59-year-old woman was the victim of a homicide perpetrated by a 61-year-old man who then died of self-inflicted injuries. Later, the RCMP revealed it was intimate partner violence (IPV) and that a firearm was used in the offence.
“We’ve looked into this more and have learned that while past employment status is considered personal information under the Privacy Act, we are able to release the information for former RCMP employees,” Public Information Officer Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay wrote in an email to the National Post on Friday.
Murder victim’s daughters want RCMP to admit killer was a former officer
Tara Graham told the National Post earlier this week that the victim was her mother, Brenda Tatlock-Burke, and alleged that her killer was Mike Burke, whom she identified as a retired RCMP officer and her mother’s husband of 33 years.
After learning of the RCMP’s latest admission, Graham said it should have come earlier and without so much effort from the family, but she was appreciative and called it a “step in the right direction.”
“There is still change and accountability that needs to be held and recognized, but I am thankful our words are being heard and (I) plan to continue to bring awareness to those not able to speak up or those still left in the situation of RCMP domestic abuse relationships and helpless.”
Graham would still like to see their identities officially released as they are in other homicide investigations.
“I’m asking for her to be treated like every other victim so readers and listers can humanize her story, so she as a victim is relatable.”
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