Woman found guilty of first-degree murder and arson in deadly Aurora fire

Yellow crime tape blocks off an area. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

A 41-year-old woman from Aurora, Ont. has been found guilty of first-degree murder and arson in relation to a homicide that happened in July 2019.

A news release by York Regional Police says that about four years ago, on July 27, 2019, police and Central York Fire Services responded to a fire call at a house on Edward Street at about 1 a.m. The house was fully engulfed in flames when emergency services arrived. Firefighters were able to control the fire about an hour later and discovered the body of 38-year-old Troy Stephen Oakley.

Police deemed the death suspicious and involved the homicide unit.

Police arrested then-36-year-old Melissa Galea of Aurora that same day in connection to the death of Oakley. She was originally charged with second-degree murder in relation to the incident.

On Nov. 24, 2023, a jury found Galea guilty of first-degree murder and arson.