Alleged Jamaican pastor charged with murder in Canada

A Jamaican man is now facing serious murder charges in Canada after a woman was found dead inside an apartment in the city of London, Ontario, last Friday.

Charged with second-degree murder is 56-year-old Alton Farquharson, a Manchester native, who was taken into custody at the scene and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.

Canadian police say the 47-year-old woman, whose identity is being withheld at the request of her family, was discovered with traumatic injuries inside a unit at 297 Westminster Avenue in south London during the early morning hours. She was rushed to hospital but later pronounced dead.

Investigators said a man known to the woman was arrested at the scene. While police have not disclosed the nature of their relationship, Jamaican-linked social media pages have identified the pair as a married couple, claiming the man is a pastor from Mile Gully.

Authorities in Ontario have classified the killing as a femicide, describing it as a gender-based killing of a woman. The case has ignited widespread discussion in Canadian media, with advocates calling for femicide-related crimes to be treated as an epidemic.

London is a major city located in South Western Ontario in Canada, where the killing occurred.

Investigations into the matter are ongoing.

- Karen Madden

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