Owner of burned car believed main target

FOUR DEAD

CALGARY • A man and two sisters found dead in a burned-out car may not have been intended targets in what police are describing as a ruthless quadruple homicide.

Investigators are exploring the possibility that Cody Pfeiffer, 25, Glynnis Fox, 36, and Tiffany Ear, 39, were “simply at the wrong place and at the wrong time with the wrong people,” acting Insp. Paul Wozney with the Calgary Police Service’s major crimes section said Thursday.

“It was just a matter of poor timing that this ultimately led to their untimely death,” Wozney said.

The bodies of Pfeiffer, Fox and Ear were found Monday after firefighters extinguished a burning 2011 Chevrolet Cruze at a construction site in a new subdivision on Calgary’s northwestern edge.

Wozney said it’s believed the Cruze’s owner — 26-yearold Hanock Afowerk — was the target.

His body was found next to Highway 22 in a rural area west of Calgary on Wednesday. Police had earlier appealed to the public for help finding him and expressed concern for his safety.

It’s possible Fox and Ear — sisters who both left behind children — were caught up in a targeted attack against Afowerk, police said.

All four victims suffered significant traumatic injuries, but Wozney declined to elaborate.

“I will say that it ... certainly has been surprising to some very seasoned investigators.”

Police believe multiple people may have been involved and that it’s possible there are several different crime scenes.

“We know that there’s people in the community that have information regarding this event. We know that people know what happened. If they’re scared, if they are in any way hesitant to contact us, they can do so anonymously through Crime Stoppers or through our tip line,” said Wozney.

It appears the sisters got to know Pfeiffer and Afowerk recently, said Wozney, who added it’s believed they were friends as opposed to romantically involved.

Carmen Fox, cousin of both women, said the death of the sisters has been met with “devastation and shock” from family and members of the Stoney-Nakoda first nation.

The two women were raised together, she said, and were always at each other’s side. They had been living in Calgary for the past year.

They had “nothing but encouragement” for other family members and were known for their caring nature. “They would greet you with a smile and always have a hug for you,” said Carmen.

Someone called 911 early Monday about the vehicle fire in the Sage Hill neighbourhood. Fire crews didn’t know there was anyone inside the car until the blaze was put out. The fire left a big black scorch mark on the outer wall of a townhome under construction. People in nearby homes reported waking to banging noises and sirens.