Man accused of murder wanted after failing to turn himself in: Calgary police

A man accused of murder is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant Friday, and Calgary police are asking for the public to keep an eye out.

Officers say this comes after Jessey Pearson failed to turn himself in at the Calgary Remand Centre in relation to a 2017 “murder-for-hire” case.

Police say 29-year-old Ronnie Olara Obina was shot in an alley behind his residence on Nov. 3, 2017, in the Ranchero Rise area in the city’s northwest.

Officers charged two individuals with first-degree murder: Pearson and Jayme Scott Denovan of Calgary. Both were arrested in Saskatchewan on Oct. 23, 2020.

Denovan was found guilty in October 2022. He said he was offered $14,000 and paid $4,000 by two unknown men to kill the victim. Denovan said he shot Obina in the head after ambushing him.

In his 2022 trial, a judge found Pearson’s confession in a Mr. Big operation inadmissible, thus leading to the prosecution to submit no evidence and ask the court to acquit him of all charges. Pearson was found not guilty.

“Mr. Big operations involve the police luring suspects into a fictitious criminal organization by befriending the suspect and providing them with financial rewards or other incentives,” court documents read.

However, the province’s top court appealed the trial judge’s decision, according to court documents released on July 8, and found that they had “erred in excluding Mr. Pearson’s statements” and “erred in finding an abuse of process.”

Pearson is around 5’11” tall, around 181 pounds, with a medium build, green eyes and light brown hair.

Police ask anyone with information about Pearson’s whereabouts to call them at 403-266-1234 or leave a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.