Gurpreet Ronald, pictured above, has been charged with first-degree murder in the January 2014 stabbing death of Jagtar Gill. (Facebook)
Gurpreet Ronald, a 34-year-old married mother of two, has been charged with first-degree murder after Jagtar Gill was found stabbed to death in her Barrhaven home more than two months ago.
Gill, 43, was found dead in her home by her husband and 15-year-old daughter on Jan. 29 — the day of her 17th wedding anniversary — in the living room of her home at 174 Brambling Way.
A source told CBC News DNA evidence was used to link Ronald to the homicide. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Ronald's first appearance in Ottawa court took place just after 11 a.m. Wednesday after being delayed several times, and about 30 of Gill's friends and family members gathered at the courthouse to watch. Among them were Gill's widower and their children.
Ronald's next court appearance is scheduled for April 16, by video link.
Sources told CBC News Ronald is not a member of the Gill family, and that she was arrested Tuesday afternoon at Greenbank Police Station after police asked her to show up there of her own accord.
Ronald lives on Towhee Place, one street over from the Gill family home. Sources said Ronald works for OC Transpo with Gill's husband, Bhupinderpal, and that Ronald and Bhupinderpal were close.
Four days after the homicide, someone using Gurpreet Ronald's Facebook account — listed under her maiden name, Gurpreet Brar —
wrote a message of condolence on a newspaper's post about Gill's death.