Third teen charged with second-degree murder in Hamilton woman’s death

Hamilton police say they have arrested a fifth suspect in the death of a 38-year-old woman – the third teenager to be charged with second-degree murder in the case.

Police say officers responded to reports of a woman found dead in her apartment on the morning of Nov. 10, with investigators believing she had died about three days earlier.

The force says detectives were made aware on New Year’s Eve that a 16-year-old wanted for the second-degree murder of the woman, Danielle Strauss, was en route back to Canada from the Czech Republic and he was arrested at Toronto Pearson airport later that day.

That teen was arrested after another 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl were arrested on a Hamilton bus in November and charged with second-degree murder.

Two adults have also been charged with accessory after the fact of murder.

Police have not released the cause of death.

The teens charged in the case cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and police say the names of the adults arrested in the case also cannot be released as that information may identify the teenagers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2023.

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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.