CHILLIWACK, B.C. - A Chilliwack man is facing a second-degree murder charge following the death of a 52-year-old woman on November 6, 2026, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says.
On November 6, 2026, at approximately 8:09 p.m., Chilliwack RCMP officers attended a residence in the 46000 block of Mellard Avenue in Chilliwack. Upon arrival, officers located a woman, who was pronounced deceased at the scene. Police have not released the woman’s name.
IHIT assumed conduct of the investigation and, in partnership with Chilliwack RCMP, the Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS) and the BC Coroners Service, worked to determine the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
On November 7, 2026, the BC Prosecution Service approved one count of second-degree murder against Kristopher John Hayward, 55, of Chilliwack. The accused has been detained by the court and is next scheduled to appear on November 10, 2026. The charge has not been proven in court.
Investigators believe the accused and the victim were known to each other and that this was not a random incident.
“We are saddened by this tragedy,” said Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT.
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Fong said the coordinated efforts of Chilliwack RCMP, IHIT and IFIS advanced the investigation to the charge approval standard within 24 hours of deploying, and that investigators continue to support the victim’s grieving family as the prosecution process moves forward. As this matter is now before the courts, IHIT says no further information will be released.
Why this matters
A woman is dead and a neighbour is charged in a residential Chilliwack neighbourhood, and police are telling residents directly that the accused and the victim were known to each other and this was not a random incident. The case now moves to court, with Hayward’s next appearance scheduled for November 10, 2026.
IHIT is the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, the regional unit that investigates homicides across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.
(Source: Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), November 9, 2026)
