A man was arrested on the other side of the country and accused by Edmonton police of killing a woman he was in a relationship with, who has been missing since last summer.

Marika Sutton, 29, who went by the first name of Mika, was last seen in early August in the Richfield neighbourhood of Mill Woods in southeast Edmonton.

Police said her disappearance was out of character and her family was worried. Her family told Global News Mika was originally from Yellowknife, N.W.T.

After several weeks of no contact, Mika was reported missing to Edmonton police by out of province family on Sept. 25, 2025, and officers began investigating.

A news release seeking the public’s help to find Mika was issued on Oct. 8.

By the end of October, the investigation led police to believe Mika was dead and her disappearance was criminal in nature.

Investigators believe the accused may have disposed of Mika’s body somewhere along the QEII/Highway 2  between Wetaskiwin and Lacombe in central Alberta, between Aug. 22-29, 2025.

The EPS homicide section took over the case, but the public was not updated at the time that the file had changed from a missing person to murder investigation.

Police said Friday that was a deliberate choice in order to track down their suspect.

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“To protect the integrity of the investigation and secure the arrest of the accused, we deliberately chose to deviate from our normal process of immediately notifying the public of Marika’s death,” said Edmonton homicide detective Braydon Lawrence.

“That being said, we are hopeful that someone travelling on Highway 2 between Wetaskiwin and Lacombe between Aug. 22 and Aug. 29 may recall seeing (the accused’s) Jeep in a strange or unusual location, and if so, we encourage them to contact us immediately.”

The accused was driving a 2014 black Jeep Patriot at the time with Alberta licence plate: CFB 2578.

People who live in that part of central Alberta are also being asked for help.

“We are appealing to any landowners, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts who may frequent this area to be on the lookout for Marika’s remains.”

On March 17, 2026, EPS officers travelled to Prince Edward Island where, with the Charlottetown Police Services major crime unit, arrested a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant at a home in South Melville.

The accused and Sutton were known to one another and in a relationship, Edmonton police said.

While not formally reported to police, a history of domestic violence in the relationship was uncovered during the investigation.

As such, Mika’s death is considered an intimate partner homicide.

John Angus Joseph MacArthur, 47, is charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a body. He was transported from Charlottetown back to Edmonton on March 20 and has since been remanded.

Homicide detectives thanked the Edmonton Drug and Gang Enforcement (EDGE) Team, the Calgary Police Service and the Charlottetown Police Service for their help with the investigation.

Anyone with information about Marika Sutton’s disappearance or death is asked to contact Edmonton police at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.

Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online.

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