The husband of a former Okanagan woman is charged with killing her at her home in Abbotsford.
Jeffrey Friesen, 40, was formally charged with the second-degree murder of his estranged wife Leanne Friesen, whose body was found in the garage Wednesday night. The couple's two children, believed to be in their teens, were in the house at the time. They're now staying with relatives.
Police say Leanne Friesen, 40, was shot and died of her wounds. She grew up in Peachland and had lived in Abbotsford for some time.
A relative asked Abbotsford police Wednesday night to check on the woman's well-being. Officers drove to the home on Cassiar Court and spoke to Jeffrey Friesen, who no longer lived in the house but visited frequently.
"They interacted with Jeffrey Friesen, and part of that led to the discovery of her body, and he was arrested at the scene," said Cpl. Adam MacIntosh of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. "There were children in the house of Mr. Friesen and Leanne."
Officers seized the suspect's car parked outside and other items. MacIntosh wouldn't say whether they recovered the alleged firearm.
Leanne Friesen has relatives in the Central Okanagan. The family is "torn apart," said MacIntosh.
"It will take time. It's a tragedy of a domestic situation gone horribly wrong."
Jeffrey Friesen makes his first court appearance Tuesday in Abbotsford.