Theresa Cardinal has thought about her mother Jeanette Cardinal every day since she was found dead on Feb. 7, 2011, praying police would catch her killer.

As the years went by there were times she lost hope, but now with her pain is a sense of relief.

"I cried when the homicide detective told me," said Cardinal, 26.

On Thursday police announced they have made an arrest in the five-year-old slaying.

Police let her know first they have made a breakthrough in the cold case.

'It was just really hard'

Jeanette Marie Cardinal was found dead in a north Edmonton apartment Feb. 7, 2011. (Provided) Cardinal remembers her mother as kind and loving to her and her four siblings.

"She would do anything for us children," she said. "It was just really hard for our family to lose our mother in the way that we did."

Her mother had addictions problems that led her to the wrong crowd, but she never lost her spirit and infectious laugh, Cardinal said.

Jeanette Cardinal's body was found by a repairman in an apartment building near 119th Avenue and 81st Street.

The cause of her death has not been released.

The 40-year-old, originally from the Beaver Lake Cree Nation moved to Edmonton in late 2010 from Slave Lake, Alta.

Forensic evidence leads to break

Police said the man arrested for Cardinal's murder was a person of interest within a couple of days of her death, but they did not have enough evidence to lay charges.

Technological advances in forensic testing was the turning point, police said Thursday.

"Through some consultation with the RCMP lab, we were able to identify some additional evidence that we could consider for additional testing which ultimately provided us additional grounds," said Det. Ryan Tebb, with Edmonton Police Service's historical homicide unit, who started the review of the file in February.

Dana Fash, 38, was arrested Monday and charged with second-degree murder in the homicide, Edmonton police said.

Two weeks ago Edmonton police had issued a public warning about Fash who had been released from jail.

Police believed Fash, a violent sex offender, posed "significant harm to the community and in particular adult females."

He was convicted of two violent sexual assaults in the Mill Woods area in 1994 and was sentenced three years later to 12 years in prison.

He has been in and out of prison ever since.

'I have the closure I need'

Jeanette Cardinal is remembered fondly at the Beaver Lake Cree Nation where family and friends have also hoped for a development in the case.

"Anything to do with missing and murdered women, I'd always ask about Jeanette, why they can't find out what happened to her," said Tina Lameman, 47, a cousin, who also gave a eulogy at her funeral.

Cardinal's sense of humour and fun is what Lameman cherishes most from their childhood, but the pair began to drift apart in their twenties.

"She had lost a child. When that little baby died I don't think she ever got over it," said Lameman, who tried many times to pull Cardinal away from destructive influences to no avail.

The uncertainty of not hearing any news in the last five years has weighed heavily on Theresa Cardinal.

"I've prayed for this day to come," she said. "Finally I have the closure that I need to move on."

Fash remains in custody and his next court appearance is Jan. 5.