The husband of a B.C. woman who went missing in Peru last fall is in police custody, and her disappearance is now being treated as a homicide.
Kimberlee Kasatkin, 41, originally from Abbotsford, B.C., was living with her common-law husband, Christopher Franz, and two children in Lima, Peru. The last time any of Kastkin’s family or friends heard from her was November 2016.
After her disappearance, Franz appeared in a video telling a missing persons blogger that she was depressed and wanted to leave the country. He said she took her passport, phone, credit cards and clothing with her and that she didn’t leave a note.
“We knew on our side that wasn’t true. She’s not going to pack up and leave her kids,” Kasatkin’s brother Roger Grafstrom told CTV Vancouver.
Police arrested Franz in connection with Kasatkin’s disappearance earlier this week. He is currently in police custody while investigators await DNA test results.
The case is now being treated as a femicide — defined in Peruvian law as the murder of a woman.
“My parents and myself tried to give him the benefit of the doubt [and] keep an open mind,” said Grafstrom.
Kasatkin’s parents are currently in Lima and say they won’t leave until charges are laid. But, according to the family, local law enforcement lack resources and Franz’s lawyers are putting up roadblocks.
“Our resolve is absolute. As we’ve said before, we will be staying there until this is taken care of,” said Grafstrom.
The family also hopes to bring Kasatkin’s three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son back home to Canada. The children are currently staying with Franz’s mother.
With a report from CTV Vancouver
