Halifax police believe two people were killed on New Year’s Eve as a result of intimate partner violence.
At about 10:35 p.m. on Tuesday, officers received a report of a person who was injured in the 2400 block of Gottingen Street, according to a news release from police.
When police arrived at the scene, they found a vehicle with a dead woman and an unresponsive man inside. Both were shot.
The man was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Cora-Lee Smith, 40, and her father, Bradford Downey, 73, were murdered. Autopsies from the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service confirmed this.
Police received a tip at about 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Eve that a suspect, who was related to the victims, was near the Halifax Commons.
Officers found Matthew Costain, 39, dead by a gunshot wound in the area. They also found a gun at the scene.
Investigators say Costain was in a known relationship with Smith.
Police say both incidents were a result of intimate partner violence, and at this time are not looking for any other suspects.
The investigation continues, and police ask anyone who may have information related to the case to call 902-490-5020.
Update to New Year’s Eve suspicious death investigation
Police are investigating three deaths that occurred in Halifax on New Year’s Eve.
On Tuesday, December 31 at approximately 10:35 p.m., police responded to a report of an injured person in the 2400 block of Gottingen… pic.twitter.com/wdwJddd4Tn
— Halifax_Police (@HfxRegPolice) January 2, 2025
