3 charged with first-degree murder in connection with remains found in burned Bay Roberts truck

RCMPin eastern Newfoundland have arrested and charged three people in connection with a homicide in Bay Roberts, in which a body was found in a pickup truck that had been set on fire.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jolene Garland saidthat Matthew Kavanagh, 41, Terry Cole, 34, and Stephanie Noftall, 28, have been each charged with first-degree murder as well asindignity to human remains.

"This was absolutely a targeted attack," Garland told reporters at a news conference in St. John's Monday.

The accused are in custody and will appear in a Harbour Grace court on Monday.

The victim, whom police are not identifying, was a 42-year-old man from Spaniard's Bay.

The human remains were found last week inside a pickup on a dirt road in Bay Roberts, along Newfoundland's Conception Bay.

The pickup, a blue 2021 Chevrolet Colorado, was discovered in flames the morning of Sept. 30 on Country Road.

Last week theOffice of the Chief Medical Examinerdeemed the death as suspicious.

On Saturday evening, the RCMP's major crimes unit as well as an emergency response team, a dog unit, explosives experts and other officers surrounded a home on Gardner Place in Harbour Grace.

"After a number of hours," a police statement said, "three individuals were arrested without further incident."

Garland said the three surrendered to police and that no weapons were seized from the home.

Garlandsaid while the homicide is seen as atargeted attack, but police are not commenting on anypossible motive.

"We certainly feel there could be an element of drugs. We're not saying these people are involved in the drug trade but we do suspect substance abuse to be present with the individuals involved," she said.

Police do not believe organized crime is involved in the man's death.

The cause of death remains under investigation.Garland said police believe the manwas dead before the truck was set on fire.

"All four are known to police," said Garland, adding some hadcriminal backgrounds and others with charges or a warrant before them.

RCMP say it stems from a disputethat began in a parking lot by a Tim Hortons restaurant and a Needs convenience store, L.T. Stick Drive in Bay Roberts.

"We definitely believe that there were people present on the parking lot of the Needs/Tim Hortons on L.T. Stick Drive when a physical altercation is believed to have occurred between the deceased and the three individuals," Garlandsaid.

She also said witnesses arebelieved to have seen what happened. They are being asked to contact police.

The police are looking for a four-door 2012 brownish-grey Honda Civicas part of their ongoing investigation.

Police believe these are the only three people involved in the crime at this time, she said.

Noftall, meanwhile, is the person who was the subject last week of a series of missing persons commiques that the RCMP issued. Police had said at the time shewas last seen on Sept. 30 in the Trinity-Conception area

In a statement from earlier this month, the police said it was "concerned for her safety and well-being."

On Monday morning, shortly before Garland spoke with reporters, the RCMP announced over X, the social media platform, that Noftall had been located and was "safe."

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