A Canadian man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Evelyn Jeanette Weaver, who was killed in her Bend, Ore. apartment in 2023.
Cole Nikolaus Sinclair, 25, was provisionally arrested by Canadian authorities on December 17 at the request of Bend Police, who say he is a suspect in Weaver鈥檚 death. At the time of his arrest, Sinclair was living in Whitehorse, Yukon in Canada at a treatment facility he was placed in after he was found 鈥渘ot criminally responsible鈥� for a series of break-ins that occurred while he was suffering from an untreated psychotic disorder, according to a report from CBC News.
Sinclair has been detained in Canada since December and will remain there while awaiting the results of an extradition hearing. The Bend Police Department would not release additional information, citing legal restrictions.
News of the arrest comes just two months before the second anniversary of Weaver鈥檚 death on July 18, 2023. She was discovered dead in her NW Hill Street apartment when a man visited to check on her and found her unresponsive. Two days later, police located her Silver Honda CR-V abandoned in Klamath Falls, but no details have emerged since.
Many in the community feared the murder would become a cold case, but Bend Police spokesperson Sheila Miller was adamant that the investigation was ongoing.
鈥淭his is not a cold case,鈥� Miller told The Bulletin ahead of the one-year anniversary of Weaver鈥檚 death. 鈥淥ur Department currently has one detective assigned full-time to Ms. Weaver鈥檚 homicide, as well as a detective supervisor overseeing the case鈥檚 progress. Our Department will not stop working to bring justice to Ms. Weaver and her family.鈥�
A letter filed by Sinclair鈥檚 lawyers in Canadian courts and obtained by CBC News says Sinclair faces three counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, one count of theft and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. The letter also demonstrates that Sinclair plans to oppose the extradition.
鈥淢s. Weaver鈥檚 death 鈥� and the resulting investigation by Oregon law enforcement 鈥� spawned a handful of media accounts 鈥� Critically, however, Mr. Sinclair had not at the time been connected by investigators to Ms. Weaver鈥檚 death,鈥� says the letter, which was written Sinclair鈥檚 Oregon lawyer, Todd Grover.
District Attorney Steve Gunnels said right now everything is being handled by Canadian authorities.
鈥淭he international extradition process is very complex and time intensive. When a person returns to Deschutes County, that鈥檚 when the prosecution process can begin,鈥� Gunnels told The Bulletin.
This is a developing story and will be updated.