The man arrested for the death of his wife in Surrey, B.C., Monday was already on parole for a murder more than three decades old, police say.
The 59-year-old woman's body was found a suite at the Greenwood Garden Apartments in the 14800-block of 104th Ave shortly after noon Monday.
RCMP say she was killed in an apparent stabbing and confirm it is a homicide.
Cpl. Dale Carr of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 54-year-old man arrested at the scene was convicted in a 1975 murder while he was incarcerated at the Matsqui institution. He had been granted parole, but was arrested on a parole violation.
Carr says homicide investigators are working on information for the Crown to decide what charges might be laid.
He says the death was not random, and the victim was known to police.
Neighbours at the apartment complex tell CTV News the victim was quite sick and frequently in and out of hospital.
A neighbour, who only wanted to be identified as Robert, says the woman was terminally ill with cancer and the man had cared for her as her health deteriorated.
"He loved her very much," Robert said. "They were crazy about each other. He did everything he could with her."
Police won't confirm the woman's death was an assisted suicide, but do say an assisted suicide would be considered homicide.
Carr says the incident is not linked to drugs or gangs.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber
