Calgary police were called to the area of 34 Avenue and 79 Street N.W at 6:10am on February 10th , on the report of an unconscious woman

Police and paramedics arrived to find Melissa Rae Blommaert, 33, lying on a roadway in the 8000 block of 34 Ave. N.W. Blommaert was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased. An autopsy was performed on February 11th and revealed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma.

Police arrested Ronald John Candaele, 35, and charged him with second-degree murder. Investigator said “At this time, we believe the victim and suspect were intimate partners. In the hours leading up to the victim’s death, it is believed a verbal altercation occurred in a vehicle between the suspect and the victim which lead to the victim exiting the vehicle.” It has been determined that Blommaert was struck by the vehicle driven by Candaele, which inflicted the fatal injuries. Ronald John Candaele will next appear in court on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the police non-emergency number 403-266-1234.

The 2020 Calgary Homicide Victim List is available here.

Update September 1st 2022
Justice Blair Nixon said in a ruling on August 31st, 2022 that Ronald Candaele will not be eligible for parole until he has served 16 years of his life sentence.