Alberta man charged with first-degree murder in 2018 Chilliwack cold case
Harry Christensen accused of killing 27-year-old Kyle Cromarty, next date in court set
(This another example of a case that fell off our radar at the newspaper for whatever reason. It's a tedious task to keep track of all court cases in a system that is as opaque as can be so often the ball gets dropped. I am looking into what the resolution was in this case and will update when I find out - PJH, December. 4, 2024)
Four years after the killing of 27-year-old Kyle Cromarty in Chilliwack, an Alberta man has been charged with first-degree murder.
The RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) transferred the October 2018 file to the cold case unit in March 2021, the unit being a team specializing in challenging homicide investigations.
On Nov. 25, 2021, Harry Christensen was arrested and on Nov. 26 he was charged with first-degree murder, according to IHIT.
“This case is a testament to the resiliency and commitment of the IHIT members,” Sgt. Timothy Pierotti of IHIT said in a press release. “Our investigators continue to dedicate themselves to these cases, long after the initial call comes in.”
Christensen was scheduled in court on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. It was put over to Feb. 10.
It was shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 4, 2018 when Chilliwack RCMP received reports of shots fired in the Yale and Menzies road area.
Mounties said when they arrived on scene, one person was suffering a life-threatening injury, he was transported by B.C. Ambulance to hospital where he succumbed to his injury.
One witness told The Progress she saw a male with blood on him transported by ambulance away from the scene. That witness said police were interviewing a boy who had claimed to hear one shot and saw a male running away.
Another witness he was walking his son across the street when he heard two shots.
Police were focused near the parking lot of the condominium complex on the north side of Yale Road just east of what was the IGA parking lot.
An IHIT spokesperson said Cromarty did not have any known links to gangs nor was he know to police, but the killing was clearly targeted.
-30-