P.E.I. man charged in ‘intimate partner homicide’ of Edmonton woman

A Prince Edward Island man has been charged with second-degree murder of his Edmonton girlfriend Marika “Mika” Sutton, who was reported missing last summer.

A Prince Edward Island man has been charged with murder in connection with a missing Edmonton woman.

John Angus Joseph MacArthur, 47, was arrested at a home in South Melville, P.E.I., on March 17 and transported back to Edmonton.

He has been charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a human body in the death of Marika “Mika” Sutton, 29, who was last seen in early August 2025 in the Richfield neighbourhood of Mill Woods.

Sutton was reported missing on Sept. 25 to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) by out-of-province family members.

By the end of October, EPS investigators had determined that Sutton was likely dead.

EPS says Sutton and MacArthur were in an intimate relationship, and while not formally reported to police, police found a history of domestic violence during the investigation.

As such, EPS says Sutton’s death is being classified as an intimate partner homicide.

At a news conference on Friday, police said MacArthur had a criminal history in his home province of P.E.I.

“He does have a criminal history. I believe he’s got 18 criminal convictions, and he has done jail time,” Det. Braydon Lawrence with the EPS Homicide Section told reporters.

Court records show MacArthur has previously been convicted multiple times in P.E.I. for assault, theft, uttering threats, and failure to comply with a probation order.

He has also been convicted of possession of a restricted weapon, robbery, mischief, causing a disturbance, obstructing a peace officer, and break-and-enter in his home province.

Lawrence also told reporters EPS had dealt with MacArthur during his time in Edmonton, but court records show the only criminal charges currently or previously faced in Alberta are in relation to Sutton’s death.

He added that Sutton, who was from the Northwest Territories and had only lived in Edmonton for a few years, was not known to police.

Police are still searching for Sutton’s remains, which are believed to be somewhere along the QEII between Wetaskiwin and Lacombe.

“It’s a very broad area, because we are basing our information on what we’ve received. And unfortunately, we can only be as specific as the information that we’ve received,” Lawrence said.

Investigators believe Sutton’s body was dumped between Aug. 22 and 29.

MacArthur was driving a 2014 black Jeep Patriot at the time with Alberta license plate CFB 2578 at the time of Sutton’s disappearance.

“We are asking anyone who traveled on Highway 2 in this location during this time, who may remember seeing the vehicle in an unusual place, to please contact us as soon as possible. “Seemingly unimportant information or details, such as recalling the vehicle being pulled over on the side of the road may be helpful.”

Investigators are also asking hunters and landowners to keep an eye out for anything unusual as the snow melts.

“I think it’s important that we find Marika’s remains, not only for us, but I think that the family deserves to have that closure,” Lawrence said.

He added police are not looking for anyone else in Sutton’s death, but he believes someone out there knows something.

“People talk. Someone out there that knows more information that we don’t know about yet,” he said.

“We will continue to investigate.”

Anyone with information about Sutton’s death is asked to contact EPS at 780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 to remain anonymous.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Andrea Jerrett