Police show Cawston Avenue residents photos of man and woman in suspicious death investigation

KELOWNA – Detectives are showing photos of a man and a woman to neighbours near the house on Cawston Avenue where a woman died over the weekend.

RCMP were called to the house on the 800-block just before 2 a.m. on July 2. They found the body of Rita Marie LeHockey, 48, and detained a 53-year-old Kelowna man. He has since been released without charges and the alley remains taped off and under constant guard by RCMP.

A neighbour who wants to remain anonymous says a detective has also been going door to door asking questions and showing pictures of two people.

“First they asked us if we had cameras in the alley because some of the neighbours do,” he says. “The cops showed us two pictures. One of a woman and one of a man.”

He has seen a woman in the neighbourhood who looks like the woman in the police photo. He says she looks “disheveled” and “down on her luck” and is in her late 50s or early 60s. He said she is rarely alone.

“A weird guy is always with her,” the neighbour says. “The guy could be anyone. He’s bald, looks kind of grubby but the woman looks like the woman in the picture they showed us.”

Police also asked about a nearby home that has been empty for some time.

“They asked if anyone was staying there,” he says. 

Const. Jesse O'Donaghey would not confirm if the police investigation is focused on any individuals in particular.

He asks anyone with information to contact Sgt. Julie Rockwell of the Kelowna RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) at 250-470-6201. Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw or call 250-718-0428 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.