Remains found in Prince George, B.C., park belong to woman killed 32 years ago, police say

The City of Prince George is seen in this photo from its Twitter account (Twitter/@CityofPG)

Warning: This story contains details some may find disturbing

Mounties in Prince George, B.C., say human remains found in a park in the city in October have been identified as those of a woman killed more than 30 years ago.

Police and the BC Coroners Service have identified the remains – which were found by a member of the public on Connaught Hill in October – as belonging to Donna Charlie, according to a news release from Prince George RCMP.

Charlie was killed in 1990, and a jury convicted her then-boyfriend Gerald Smaaslet of second-degree murder. The B.C. Court of Appeal later overturned that conviction and ordered a new trial, at which point Smaaslet pleaded guilty to manslaughter, according to court documents. 

"Though this initial investigation resulted in a conviction, it remained an open file with our Missing Persons Unit until such time as the last of the remains were located," said Cpl. Jennifer Cooper in the release.

Police did not share any additional details on the case, saying only that Charlie's family had been notified of the discovery of her remains.

HOW DONNA CHARLIE DIED

Further information on Charlie's death can be found in a 2007 court judgment against Smaaslet, in which he was declared a dangerous offender and sentenced to "detention in the penitentiary for an indeterminate period."

According to the court decision, Charlie was reported missing by her sister in September 1990. She had last been seen leaving Ingenika, B.C., with Smaaslet on Aug. 30, 1990.

The court documents indicate that Smaaslet and Charlie checked into the Sportsman Hotel in Prince George on Aug. 31, 1990. She was last seen alive on Sept. 2, 1990, when the hotel manager "saw that their room was considerably damaged and that Ms. Charlie had a bloody face," according to the decision.

On Sept. 3, Smaaslet told hotel staff he did not want to be disturbed, and on Sept. 4, he checked out.

"The next day, the cleaning staff found a horrible stench in the room and blood stains on the walls, floor, chair, bedding, and in the bathroom," the court decision reads. "There was a head-sized hole with hair and blood in the ceramic tiles around the bathtub, and the taps and shower rod were broken."

The court documents indicate that Smaaslet hid Charlie's body in the bushes behind the hotel until Sept. 7, when he and a nephew disposed of it.

"They dug a shallow grave in Ingledew Park across from the hotel," the decision reads. "As they dragged her decomposing body over to the grave her head came off. They shovelled the head into a white bucket they found at a nearby apartment building and buried it nearby in Connaught Park."

Though Charlie's body was found in 1991, her head had not been recovered as of the 2007 decision.

"Due to the advanced state of decomposition and the missing head, the cause of death could not be determined," the decision reads.