Two charged with murder after man found dead on downtown Calgary sidewalk

Police have laid second-degree murder charges against two people in connection with the January death of a man whose body was found on a downtown Calgary sidewalk.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Jan. 12 when officers responded to reports of an unresponsive man near 5 Street and 7 Avenue SW.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy conducted two days later identified the victim as 34-year-old Samuel Mulugeta and confirmed his death was the result of a fatal assault.

Investigators initially believed the attack was targeted and that Mulugeta may have known the suspects. However, police now say there was no prior relationship between the victim and the accused, and that the fatal encounter stemmed from a robbery.

Surveillance and witness accounts suggest Mulugeta had been walking along the 3 Street SW CTrain platform around 4:20 a.m. when he encountered a group of individuals. During a brief interaction, he was allegedly robbed and injured.

Despite his injuries, Mulugeta managed to walk several blocks before collapsing.

Police had previously appealed to the public for help identifying three persons of interest. Over the course of the year, all three were located, and investigators determined that two were directly responsible for the assault.

Jennifer Lee Caswell, 43, and Steven Morris Firingstoney, 41, were arrested following a months-long investigation into the fatal assault. Both remain in custody and are scheduled to appear in court later this month.