Infant presumed dead, mother found dead in home NW of Edmonton; father in custody

The body of a 23-year-old mother was found in a St. Albert home last week, and her missing nine-month-old daughter is believed to be dead, authorities say. The woman’s partner and father of the child is in police custody.

St. Albert RCMP say a body likely belonging to 23-year-old Ayla Egotik-Learn was found in an apartment of Rivercrest Crescent last Friday after building representatives went to issue an eviction and uncovered a “suspicious item.” Police would not reveal what that item was.

Authorities believe Egotik-Learn and her baby were killed around Dec. 5, 2025 — eight weeks before the mother’s remains were found.

Police say early in the investigation, they learned Egotik-Learn’s infant daughter Braylee Beasley was missing. “This significantly increased the urgency as efforts focused on ensuring Braylee’s safety,” said Insp. Wayne Stevenson with the Alberta RCMP serious crime branch.

Mounties say efforts are underway to locate the infant’s remains. “We do have some understanding of where Braylee‘s remains are located and we are not asking for public assistance in the search currently,” said Stevenson.

Officers arrested Egotik-Learn’s common law partner, the father of Braylee, at a St. Albert hotel four days after finding Egotik-Learn’s body.

Christopher William Beasley, 33, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Egotik-Learn, and two counts of indignity to the bodies of the mother and child. The allegations have not been tested in court. Beasley, who was previously known to RCMP, is scheduled to appear at the St. Albert courthouse Monday.

“Being able to find and secure sufficient evidence to charge somebody within four days I think is a testament to the officers who worked on this file. We had over 50 police officers working around the clock,” said Sgt. James McConnell with the Alberta RCMP major crimes unit.

A criminal record check shows Beasley pled guilty in July 2025 to assaulting Egotik-Learn. He was not sentenced to jail time and was instead placed on probation for 18 months. The two had been in a relationship since April 2024, according to police.

Egotik-Learn, who was originally from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, came to Alberta in 2024.

“My understanding was her world was her child. She spent all the time she could with her,” said Sgt. McConnell.

“The gravity of investigating the death of a nine-month-old to a young mother in a safe community is immense. The officers who have worked on this file, the impact on the public, is tremendous, and will be felt by everyone.”

The mayor of the City of St. Albert, Scott Olivieri, called the loss of Egotik-Learn and Braylee “devastating” and “almost unthinkable.”

“St. Albert has always prided itself on being a safe, welcoming and friendly community, where all are welcome, and everyone has the opportunity to build a bright future for themselves,” Olivieri wrote in a statement. “That bright future has been shattered for two of our own, and we are heartbroken. Words cannot fully express our collective sense of shock, dismay and sorrow.

“The death of these two people has devastated a family, and challenged a community, but it must also serve to strengthen our resolve to support one another in our grief and do everything in our power to prevent such tragedies in the future.”