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A man is facing charges in the death of a young mother in the Edmonton area and the presumed death of their missing nine-month-old daughter.
Police said Thursday that 23-year-old Ayla Egotik-Learn was found dead in her apartment in St. Albert, Alta., after police were called on Jan. 23 after a report of a suspicious item.
RCMP said early in their investigation, officers learned that Egotik-Learn’s nine-month-old daughter Braylee Beasley was missing, said Insp. Wayne Stevenson of the Serious Crimes Branch.
Stevenson said the RCMP presume the nine-month-old is deceased and have “some understanding” of where her remains are located.
“Investigations like this are a reminder that every successful investigation begins with a tragedy. A woman and her child should be planning tomorrow, not being mourned today,” Stevenson said.
Police arrested Christopher Beasley, 33, on Tuesday and have charged him with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of indignity to a body. The second-degree murder charge pertains to the death of Egotik-Learn, police said.
RCMP believe Egotik-Learn, originally from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, was killed on Dec. 5, 2025.
WATCH | Infant of St. albert homicide victim presumed to be dead:
St. Albert RCMP say infant believed dead after killing of young mother
RCMP say man has been charged with the murder of his partner while police actively search for the remains of her nine-month old daughter.
Beasley is the infant’s father and was in a common-law relationship with Egotik-Learn at the time of the homicide, police said. Court records show that at the time of Egotik-Learn’s death, Beasley was on probation for assaulting her last year.
Beasley received 18 months of probation after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Egotik-Learn in 2025. He faced three other charges involving Egotik-Learn, in early 2025, but they were withdrawn.
‘Her life was basically about her daughter’
Chantel Klengenberg had known Egotik-Learn for years and often saw the young mother during her frequent visits to visit family in the remote hamlet of Kugluktuk, Nunavut.
Klengenberg said Egotik-Learn split much of her time between Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk, keeping close ties with childhood friends and close relatives.
Egotik-Learn was a bright, outgoing young woman who was always smiling, Klengenberg told CBC News on Thursday.
“She always spoke with everyone who she saw and put a smile on everyone’s face,” Klengenberg said. “Her laugh was very contagious.
“She laughed, and then everyone’s laughing along with her.”
Egotik-Learn was a caring and devoted mother, and never spoke about her problems, sharing frequent updates about her child and what appeared to be a happy home, Klengenberg said.
“Her life was basically about her daughter,” she said.
Klengenberg said she now wonders about the circumstances of her friend’s death and is praying the infant’s remains will be found soon so the family “can have peace.”
Those who love Egotik-Learn and her child want answers and closure, Klengenberg said.
“We need justice for Ayla and Braylee.”
Beasley is expected to appear in court on Feb. 2 at the Alberta Court of Justice in St. Albert.