First degree murder charges in the deaths of an Alberta toddler and her dad

BLAIRMORE, Alta. (NEWS 1130) – The 22-year-old suspect in the deaths of a toddler from southwestern Alberta and her father has been charged with two counts of first degree murder.

RCMP are describing suspect Derek Saretzky as an acquaintance of 27-year-old Terry Blanchette.

Terry was two-year-old Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette’s father.

Hailey lived with her father in Blairmore, while her mother lived in Edmonton.

Cheyenne Dunbar says she has never dated the accused. They were just friends. “He was a good kid. That’s all I know.”

Dunbar says she wasn’t aware Saretzky and Hailey’s father knew each other. Dunbar says she is just as confused as anyone as to why the girl was killed.

“I’m going to miss her smile, the way she ran around saying ‘mommy’… everything. She was my baby. I don’t know why anyone would do this to her.”

People in the town are saying Saretzky was in a relationship with the mother of the child at one point. Inspector Derek Williams says we shouldn’t expect them to confirm anything like that for some time.

“We’re still exploring those connections. But at this point in time, they were known to each other. That’s about all we can say, in terms of the investigative process.”

The same applies to details on where or how Hailey was found yesterday.

Mounties still want to hear from anyone who saw that white van involved in the Amber Alert.

They are confident they have the van in question but are still trying to track its movements around the time the crime occurred.

Saretzky, who is from Blairmore, is to appear in Lethbridge court on Sept. 23.

Our own Ian Campbell has been in the town of Blairmore for the past couple of days.