Police have arrested and charged a 29-year-old Peterborough man with a lengthy criminal record for the murder of a 27-year-old Peterborough woman and the attempted murder of a 30-year-old Peterborough man on Wednesday night (September 6).
At around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, officers were called to an apartment on Simcoe Street between George Street and Aylmer Street about a possible stabbing. Upon arriving, officers found a female and a male victim.
Both victims were taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre, where the female victim was pronounced dead. The male victim was transported to a Toronto-area hospital in critical condition.
After arriving at the apartment, officers learned that a man had been seen leaving the area. After thoroughly investigating and examining footage from the closed-circuit television cameras in the area, both police-maintained and private ones, police identified a suspect.
At around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, officers received information the suspect was spotted in a wooded area near Ashburnham Drive and Maria Street. The Emergency Response Team, Remotely Piloted Aircraft System Unit, officers from the Investigative Services Unit, and a canine unit from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) attended the area.
After arriving, officers learned two women known to the suspect had been verbally threatened and one had been attacked with a hatchet. The two women were able to escape and were taken to Peterborough Regional Health Centre for treatment.
VIDEO: Peterborough police media conference
Officers continued searching the woods and, shortly after, took a man and woman into custody without incident.
As a result of the investigation, police arrested and charged 29-year-old Jesse Rowe of Peterborough with second degree murder, attempt to commit murder, assault with a weapon, two counts of uttering threats, and two counts of failing to comply with a probation order.
Peterborough police say Rowe has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2012. He is currently before the courts for robbery with a weapon and failure to comply with a probation order. He is also bound by a probation order with conditions to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. He is also bound by seven prohibition orders with regard to firearms, restricted weapons, ammunition, and explosives.
“Thanks to the quick work of our officers, an arrest in this case was able to be made,” said Peterborough police chief Stuart Betts in a media conference on Thursday. “Our OPP colleagues and their canine unit were incredibly helpful in helping us identify the location where this individual was and taking him into custody.”
Rowe is being held in custody and will appear in court on Thursday. Police have notified the next of kin of the 27-year-old Peterborough woman who Rowe is accused of killing. At the request of the family, police are not releasing her name.
The 30-year-old Peterborough woman who was found with Rowe has been taken into custody on the strength of a warrant for a shoplifting incident on August 27, and has also been charged with two counts of uttering threats in connection with the incident in the woods early Thursday morning. She is being held in custody and will also appear in court on Thursday.
