Halifax police say New Year's Eve homicide victims were father, daughter
CBC
Halifax Regional Police say a father and daughter were fatally shot on New Year's Eve hours before the woman's boyfriend was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the latest in a string of intimate partner violence deaths in Nova Scotia.
Police were called to reports of an injured person near Gottingen and Charles streets around 10:35 p.m. Tuesday. Officers found a car that contained a woman who had died of gunshot wounds and another man who had gunshot wounds and was unresponsive.
He was taken to hospital, where he died.
The Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service has determined the cause of death for both victims is homicide.
The victims have been identified as Cora-Lee Smith, 40, and her father, 73-year-old Bradford Downey.
On Wednesday around 1:30 a.m., officers received information that a man connected to the victims was believed to be in the area of the Halifax Common, near the skating oval. Upon arrival, they found the man had died by gunshot wound. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
"It was what we believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Const. Martin Cromwell said during an interview with reporters Thursday outside Halifax Regional Police headquarters.
The man has been identified as 39-year-old Matthew Costain. His death is still under investigation by police in conjunction with the medical examiner service.
Police said Costain was known to be in a relationship with Smith. The homicides are believed to be incidents of intimate partner violence and police are not looking for any other suspects.
The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information is asked to notify Halifax police.
Cromwell would not say if Costain was known to police or if he had a criminal record. He also would not say if the victims had previously complained about or sought help for intimate partner violence.
Rev. Jivaro Smith, the pastor of Saint Thomas Baptist Church in North Preston, told The Canadian Press he knew the homicide victims and their families.
The pastor described Cora-Lee Smith as "a fun-loving person, with a love of life and respect for her family."
Her father "was an amazing guy who wouldn't harm a flea. He's one of the nicest men you could ever come to know and he had a love for people," the pastor said, adding Downey had worked for a paving firm before retiring.
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