'Dedicated' teacher found dead in Vaughan home, husband charged with murder
CBC
A woman found dead inside her Vaughan home early Wednesday has been identified as a Toronto school teacher.
Officers were initially called to a home on Isa Court, near Highway 27 and Langstaff Road, around 12:30 a.m. after receiving calls from concerned neighbours, York Regional Police said in a news release.
They arrived to find a 64-year-old woman with serious injuries. Despite life-saving measures, she was pronounced dead on scene, police said.
Police later identified her as Estella Wheeler.
A 68-year-old man was arrested at the scene and later charged with second-degree murder. The accused is Wheeler's husband, spokesperson Const. Lisa Moskaluk confirmed to CBC Toronto.
Wheeler taught Grade 7 and 8 at Africentric Alternative School in North York, a Toronto District School Board school where she had worked for more than seven years.
"Ms. Wheeler was a well-known, dedicated team member at Africentric Alternative School who cared for all her students. During her time at our school, she developed strong relationships with students and staff, and will be remembered as an incredibly kind and giving person who was friends with everyone," the school's principal wrote in a letter to parents and guardians on Wednesday.
The school said support and resources were available for staff and students, particularly for those in her class, and that school social workers were at the school Wednesday.
"The Africentric community will come together to show our respect and support for the family based on their wishes in the weeks ahead," the letter said.
Moskaluk did not provide any further information about the nature of the woman's injuries or her cause of death. She said an autopsy is scheduled for the coming days.
Moskaluk could not say whether anyone else was inside the residence when officers arrived or if they recovered a weapon at the scene.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact York police or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers.
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