Calgary 2023 Homicide Victim List is available here

Calgary police responded to the report of a deceased person at Deerfoot Athletic Park, located at 1616 8 Ave. N.E. on February 16th at 10:35 a.m.

On arrival police located Judy MAERZ, 58, of Calgary deceased. Her cause of death has not been released, however, police say her death was a homicide.

Detectives are asking anyone who may have been at the park or anyone who may have known Judy MAERZ, or anyone who has a dashcam and was driving northbound on Deerfoot Trail between Memorial Drive and 16 Avenue N.E., on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, between 4 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., is asked to contact investigators at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers through any of the following methods:

TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org

Update March 3rd.
Calgary police arrested Christopher Ward Dunlop, 48, and charged him with second-degree murder and indignity to a body in the death of Judy Maerz. Police said the victim and accused were known to eachother, and believe the homicide happened in the park.

Police said Ward Dunlop set Maerz’s body on fire in what officers believe was an attempt to cover up the homicide.

Police confirmed that Ward Dunlop is the same man convicted of killing Laura Furlan, who was strangled to death in 2009 in Fish Creek Park. In that case he was sentenced to 13 years in prison, with 6.5 years credit for time served.

Staff Sgt.Sean Gregson said “I think there’s a lot of similarities between those two investigations. They weren’t known to each other and I think it was an unfortunate circumstance where they met.”