Warning: This story contains details some readers may find disturbing.
Detectives are asking for help from anyone who might have information about a tragic case in St. Albert. The RCMP believes the remains of a five-month-old baby may have been left in a dumpster near where her mother was killed.
Ayla Egotik-Learn was just 23 years old when she was found dead near an apartment on January 23rd. The young mother had moved to St. Albert from Cambridge Bay only last year. Her stepfather Ross Learn described her as “a happy new mom whose baby was the centre of her universe.”
Police quickly discovered that Egotik-Learn’s baby daughter, Braylee Beasley, was missing after finding her mother. After arresting Christopher William Beasley, the mother’s common-law partner, investigators concluded the infant was likely dead. Beasley now faces serious charges including second-degree murder and two counts of indignity to a body.
The RCMP released new details this week hoping someone might remember something crucial. Investigators believe little Braylee’s remains may have been placed in a waste bin at Sturgeon Point Villas Apartments. The time frame they’re focusing on stretches from mid-September to mid-November of last year.
Specifically, police want to hear from anyone who used the dumpster outside door 11 during those months. They’re also looking for anyone who dumped large bedroom furniture in that same bin during the same period. Knowing when that furniture was tossed could help them figure out where to search.
“RCMP’s continued investigative efforts include corroborating this information and narrowing down potential time frames,” Mounties said in their latest statement. They’re asking the public to help determine if and when Braylee was left in the waste bin.
Understanding the timeline of when furniture was disposed of “will significantly increase our investigators’ ability to identify a search site,” police explained. Every detail matters when trying to bring closure to this heartbreaking case.
Ross Learn, Egotik-Learn’s stepfather, shared his grief in an email to media. He lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and had planned to visit late last year. But those plans changed when he heard his stepdaughter was sick. Tragically, he never got the chance to meet his granddaughter.
Egotik-Learn was Inuk and had only recently made Edmonton’s neighbouring city her home in 2024. Her stepfather wants people to understand something important about cases like this. “I just want people to be aware the signs of someone in danger are not always clear to family,” Learn said.
His words carry weight for those of us covering stories in Edmonton and surrounding communities. Domestic situations can hide beneath surfaces that seem normal to outsiders. Family members living far away often have no way to detect warning signs.
The St. Albert community has been shaken by this investigation. It’s the kind of case that reminds us how violence can touch any neighbourhood. Sturgeon Point Villas is just an ordinary apartment complex where people live their daily lives.
Christopher Beasley is scheduled to appear in St. Albert Court of Justice on April 20th. The legal process will continue as investigators work to build their case. But for now, police need help from regular people who might have seen something.
If you lived near Sturgeon Point Villas last fall, think back to September through November. Did you notice anyone using the dumpster near door 11? Did you see furniture being thrown away? Even small details that seemed unimportant at the time could help.
The RCMP is urging anyone with information to come forward. You can contact them directly if you remember anything about that time period. Sometimes people hesitate because they think what they saw wasn’t important enough. But investigators can piece together information in ways we might not expect.
This case highlights the vulnerability of young mothers, especially those far from their home communities. Egotik-Learn had traveled thousands of kilometers from Nunavut to start a new life. She became a mother in a place where she may not have had established support networks.
For those of us who write about Edmonton and area news, stories like this are difficult. They remind us that behind every police investigation are real people with families who loved them. A stepfather who never met his granddaughter. A young woman whose family described her joy in motherhood.
The investigation continues as police work through tips and evidence. They’re following leads and trying to locate Braylee’s remains so the family can have some measure of closure. It’s painstaking work that requires both scientific analysis and community cooperation.
If you have any information about waste disposal at Sturgeon Point Villas Apartments between mid-September and mid-November, please reach out to RCMP. Your memory of an ordinary day last fall could be the missing piece investigators need.
This tragedy serves as a reminder to check in on loved ones, especially new mothers. It also shows why community vigilance matters. Someone out there might hold information that could help bring this investigation to a conclusion.
