Christopher Dunlop, 50, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Judy Maerz, 58, on Monday, the second woman he’s killed in the past 16 years.
Maerz’s body was found in Deerfoot Athletic Park in 2023, and an autopsy determined she was the victim of a homicide police believed happened within hours of her body being discovered.
Calgary police believe the two did not know each other when they met in February 2023. Investigators believe Maerz was picked up by Dunlop after a brief meeting and was driven to the athletic park where she was killed, and her body was found the next morning.
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After interviewing witnesses, collecting forensic evidence, reviewing CCTV footage of the area and receiving a “significant amount” of information from members of the public, homicide detectives were able to narrow down the timeline of the homicide and identify a potential suspect, Dunlop, who had just completed a 13-year-prison sentence for manslaughter the previous year.
Police confirmed Dunlop previously confessed to the 2009 manslaughter of Laura Furlan, admitting he strangled Furlan during sex, drove around with her body before dumping her in Fish Creek Provincial Park.
Dunlop was pre-approved for statutory release in December 2019, and completed his prison sentence on June 3, 2022, according to documents from the Parole Board of Canada.
A risk assessment at the time he was released suggested Dunlop had a low to moderate risk to reoffend, and was released on conditions. Those conditions expired in 2022.
A sentencing hearing for the latest charge is set for later this month.
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