A Fort McMurray woman who was suspected of alleged fraud has been murdered, and her body was discovered in British Columbia. 28 year old Vikki Heppner was found dead on March 29, 2016 close to Stave Lake in close proximity to a service road. Heppner was being investigated in Fort McMurray after it was determined that thousands of dollars were removed from a memorial fund for the family of Roger Belanger who perished in a car crash. Belanger left behind a wife and two children and the online fundraiser was supposed to raise funds for the family. Heppner set up the GoFundMe account, and the money disappeared after more than $24,000 was raised. After Belanger’s family complained that they did not receive any of the funds intended for them the Wood Buffalo RCMP started an investigation. At the time of her death Heppner had not been charged with a crime.

The alleged fraud against Heppner was not proven before she died, but after the investigation she did leave the Fort McMurray area according to her mother because the theft became public knowledge. Someone who was driving in the area of Stave Lake came across a burned body and reported this to police. At first police would not release the identity of the murder victim but the body was confirmed as Heppner’s by CTV Vancouver. 29 year old Ryan Jack Armstrong has been charged with second degree murder as well as a charge of indignity to a body, and investigators confirmed that Heppner knew Armstrong at the time of the murder.