The ex-girlfriend of an Edmonton man murdered four years ago said her “intuition” made her immediately suspect her most recent romantic partner was involved.
Angel Chalifoux spoke at length in Court of Queen’s Bench on Thursday about her relationship with Jason Steadman, who is now accused of first-degree murder in the 2015 death of her ex-boyfriend, Dwayne Demkiw.
In one of her first meetings with police, Chalifoux said she suspected Steadman was involved, the court heard.
Chalifoux first met Steadman in 2012 when he was a customer at the Tim Hortons where she worked. But she knew him as Robert Aubrey Maxwell. She dated him for almost two years, but never went to his home or visited his family.
Court had previously heard the Crown prosecutor argue that Steadman had assumed another man’s identity.
Throughout her relationship with Steadman, Chalifoux remained close friends with Demkiw, her ex-boyfriend. The couple had been together for seven years but after they broke up, they still did “everything” together — from hanging out to going on trips together.
“We continued on as best friends,” she told court.
Dwayne Demkiw, 42, was last seen alive May 31, 2015. (Facebook )
Chalifoux testified that sometimes she, Steadman and Demkiw would all hang out together. Often, she would hang out with Demkiw without Steadman.
“Sometimes it was fine, and other times he had problems with it,” she said of how Steadman viewed her relationship with her ex-boyfriend.
By the spring of 2015, Chalifoux’s relationship with Steadman was failing. She testified he was “showing signs of a little more aggression.” And her best friend, Demkiw, told her he was worried Steadman would harm her.
“Dwayne [Demkiw] said he was scared he was going to get a call from the hospital to pick me up or identify my body,” she said.
Court has previously heard Chalifoux and Steadman broke up about two weeks before Demkiw was murdered.
Demkiw, 42, was last seen alive at 4:04 a.m. on May 31, 2015. Surveillance video taken at the limousine company where he worked showed Demkiw turning off the lights and appearing to leave.
He didn’t make it back to his apartment that night. Demkiw’s badly-damaged cell phone was later found along Anthony Henday Drive. His car was found on fire at 10:55 a.m. on May 31 in a Calgary parkade.
Demkiw’s scattered remains were discovered almost a year later in a wooded area near Innisfail.
Text messages used as evidence
Throughout their relationship, Chalifoux and Steadman texted frequently — their conversations added up to about 1,800 pages.
Defence lawyer Darin Sprake pointed to parts of those conversations during his cross-examination of Chalifoux. In several exchanges, Steadman appeared to show no ill-will toward Demkiw, even if Demkiw was still flirting with his ex-girlfriend, Chalifoux, the defence lawyer argued.
“The response was light-hearted and jokey,” Sprake said. “There’s no indication [Steadman] is jealous by this.”
At one point, Chalifoux told Steadman she was too busy to hang out with him and Steadman replied, “Have fun. Glad you’re keeping busy with your friends. Take care.”
Sprake suggested a third man was the one who actually had a problem with her relationship with Demkiw. That man is another ex-boyfriend of Chalifoux, who she called her “soulmate” and with whom she desperately wanted to be reunited.
“You couldn’t be with [this man], with Dwayne in the picture,” Sprake stated to Chalifoux.
He suggested Chalifoux had either harmed her best friend, Demkiw, or arranged for him to be harmed.
Chalifoux answered firmly: “No.”
The trial continues on Monday.