Ottawa-area residents watching the investigation into a death in Augusta Township now have answers, as Ontario Provincial Police have identified the victim and laid a second-degree murder charge against a local man. The case sits within the wider eastern Ontario region that many Ottawa commuters and cottage-goers pass through on their way to and from the capital.
Who was killed
OPP identified the victim as Donna Lowry, 79. Her body was found at a residence on County Road 26 in Augusta Township shortly before 3:30 p.m. on July 8.
The charges
David Collison, 50, of Augusta Township, is the man accused in Lowry's death. He was arrested on Tuesday, September 22, and now faces a lengthy list of charges: second-degree murder, indignity to a dead body, assault with a weapon, forcible confinement, assault causing bodily harm, and possession of a firearm or ammunition contrary to a prohibition order.
The investigation was led by the Grenville County OPP Crime Unit, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch. "We are grateful that we can provide answers to Donna's family and hold people accountable for their involvement in her death," Sauve said.
In a separate development tied to the same investigation, Alison Doherty, 40, of the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, was charged with indignity to a dead body on September 15.
The Ottawa angle
A homicide investigation of this scale, drawing in the OPP's Criminal Investigation Branch and multiple accused, is the kind of story that resonates well beyond the township's own limits, especially for a region where major violent crime cases are rare and closely followed.
What led here
OPP first confirmed in late July that Lowry's death was being investigated as a homicide, a development ottown's earlier report covered at the time as residents across the region waited for more details.
What's next
No further details on bail status or a trial date have been released. OPP have not indicated whether additional charges or arrests connected to the case are expected.
As the court process unfolds, ottown will continue to follow developments in the case.
Sources: The Brockvilleist, Yahoo News Canada
