Co-accused in Furby shooting death was on bail, ankle monitoring

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This article was published 06/09/2023 (779 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man accused in a fatal Spence neighbourhood shooting last month was out on bail, despite Crown recommendations he remain in custody, and under orders to wear an ankle monitor, when the crime occurred.

Kyle Alex Harper, 25, faces charges of second-degree murder in the Aug. 26 death of Cory Roger Roulette, 38.

Roulette was inside a suite on the 500 block of Furby Street, when three suspects forced their way inside and gunned him down, the Winnipeg Police Service said Wednesday.

At the time, Harper was facing multiple firearms-related charges and wearing an ankle monitor. He had been released from custody under an absolute curfew and a promise to appear, court records show.

Tampered with previous ankle monitor, court told

During a bail hearing July 13, Crown prosecutor Omar Siddiqui urged a provincial court judge not to release Harper, who was in custody for possessing a loaded, sawed-off shotgun — his latest offence in a criminal record that included at least 10 similar charges.

Harper had repeatedly flouted weapon prohibition orders, violated an absolute curfew, and tampered with his ankle monitor, Siddiqui said, citing a May 24 incident in which police found him hiding behind a shower curtain in a home on Laura Street with a damaged tracker affixed to his leg.

“I don’t know what he could be released on at this point that would at least fill the Crown with any confidence.”–Crown prosecutor Omar Siddiqui

“It really is Mr. Harper thumbing his nose at the highest rung of the ladder,” the Crown said, adding GPS tracking is typically considered a “last chance” for offenders seeking bail.

“I don’t know what he could be released on at this point that would at least fill the Crown with any confidence.”

Harper was released with a new ankle monitor, strict bail conditions, and a promise to appear.

One month later, Roulette was dead. Harper was arrested the same day.

Police could not say Wednesday whether investigators used ankle monitor data to assist in the arrest.

“That would all form part of the investigation,” WPS spokeswoman Ally Siatecki said. “Just knowing how close those investigators hold things to their chest, I don’t think we will be commenting on that.”

Provincial officials oversee ankle monitor programs, not police, she added.

The province announced plans to reintroduce electronic monitoring in May, after the program was previously scrapped in 2017.

Province beefing up monitoring for high-risk suspects on bail, criminals serving community sentences

“This program will see that individuals with pending serious charges before the courts are given increased supervision and support upon being granted bail to address public safety concerns and assist with compliance to their release order conditions,” officials said at the time.

A provincial spokesperson said the program is not currently active, and that Harper was using an ankle monitor provided by a private monitoring service.

Co-accused arrested, charged

Ramona Harriette Harper, 21, and Raoul Wes-Tyson Bradley Harper, 19, also face charges of second-degree murder in connection to Roulette’s death.

Investigators identified and arrested the pair Sept. 1, police said. It is unclear whether the three suspects are related.

Court records show Raoul Harper was on a release order at the time of the Furby Street homicide, after being charged with robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon in February.

He did not have an ankle monitor, but was prohibited from consuming alcohol or drugs, carrying a weapon and leaving his home after 8 p.m.

Ramona Harper has no criminal history.

The three-storey apartment where Roulette died (583 Furby St.) has long been a site of violence. Last week, a neighbour told the Free Press residents in the area refer to it as the “murder mansion.”

‘Murder mansion’ site of city’s 22nd homicide of year

WPS does not provide crime data for specific addresses, but the 500 block of Furby Street and immediate surrounding area in Spence is among the most dangerous in Winnipeg.

According to the WPS crime maps, the area logged 194 violent crimes between May 2022 and May 2023 — a level second only to the South Point Douglas neighbourhood.

In December 2022, Daniel Michael George Cook, 29, was shot and killed at 583 Furby St.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

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