Woman faces manslaughter charge in boyfriend’s death
The fatal assault of a man in February 2019 has been ruled a domestic homicide by Calgary police, who have charged the man’s girlfriend with manslaughter.
After a long investigation, Calgary police laid charges in relation to the deadly incident at the Heritage Ctrain station on Feb. 7, 2019. Around 10 p.m. that day, officers responded to reports of a couple passed out on the floor of the station.
A man was in medical distress when officers arrived, and he was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The woman that was with him was taken to hospital as a precaution but was released shortly after, police said in a news release Wednesday.
Police allege the man, identified as Benjamin Rain, 29, of Calgary, died from injuries inflicted by his girlfriend. Rain’s autopsy showed he had died following a “violent domestic incident.”
“In complex cases like this one, it can take a while to gather the evidence needed to piece together what happened,” said Staff Sgt. Colin Chisholm with the homicide unit.
“Hopefully this can bring some closure to Mr. Rain’s family.”
Mae Tallow, 29, of Calgary was arrested Tuesday and is charged with one count of manslaughter in connection with the case.
The case is one of eight reported domestic homicides in Calgary in 2019. About one-third of last year’s killings in Calgary have been ruled domestic in nature.
Calgary police said in the news release that domestic violence affects people from all walks of life, and they see victims from every community, ethnicity, age group, sexuality and gender in Calgary. One in five victims of domestic violence in Calgary are men.
Of the domestic homicides in 2019, two resulted in charges against women. In May 2019, a woman was charged in relation to the fatal stabbing of her common-law partner. On May 3, 2019, Dwane Lanois was found in medical distress at a residence in the city’s northeast. His common-law partner, Roberta Lynn Wolfchild, was found sitting outside the locked front door with a bloody knife behind her.
Wolfchild was originally charged with second-degree murder but the charge was later downgraded to manslaughter. In Nov. 2019, the Crown stayed the manslaughter charge.
There are many agencies in the city available to offer support to people dealing with domestic abuse or violence. These agencies can be contacted by calling 211, or the Connect Family & Sexual Abuse Network at either 1-877237-5888 (for sexual abuse) or 403-234-7233 (for domestic abuse).
“If someone is experiencing domestic abuse or violence, the best time to reach out for help is right now,” said Chisholm.
“We have strong supports in our city for both victims and abusers to help change the course of a relationship before things escalate further.”
Victims of domestic violence can also contact the Calgary Police Service by calling the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234, or 911 if in immediate danger.