Isabelle Thomas, a mother of two has been identified as the victim of a recent homicide in Prince George, B.C.
According to CBC, she was killed following a home invasion that took place on July 18. Police have arrested one man in connection with the case although no charges have yet been announced.
The murder of Thomas was the second homicide to happen in Prince George over a 24-hour period in mid-July. Both homicides are currently under investigation as the community deals with their highest crime rate on record.
The City of Prince George has had eight confirmed homicides since January, breaking their previous record high in 2010. It also holds the provincial record for most crimes committed in any B.C. city according to a report commissioned by three leading criminologists. The report suggested that this may be partially due to high levels of RCMP burnout, affecting their ability to police properly.
In response, the Prince George City Council approved over a million in funding to hire an additional four RCMP officers as well as two civilian support staff.
“We are working diligently to identify those responsible for the recent spike in violence and have units throughout the detachment focusing their efforts on these and other supporting investigations,” said Cpl. Jenn Cooper with the Prince George RCMP.
Police say that the majority of the homicides are connected to the drug trade however the two victims in July were not engaged in criminal activity at the time of their murders.
The growing crime in Prince George follows a larger trend of violent crime rising across the country, up 5% from 2022, leading many to call for bail reform.
Thomas, who was born and raised in Prince George was identified by her family who described her as someone who “always had a smile on her face.” A mother of two daughters, one six-years-old and the other a six-month-old.
Isabelle’s mother, Leslie Thomas spoke fondly of her daughter saying that she was someone who was always outspoken and upfront. “She told you how it is, and she showed the same amount of love in return.”
Leslie said Isabelle was a loyal and outgoing friend and mother. “The girls meant the world to her,” added Leslie. “She did everything in her power to make sure they were happy, that they were taken care of.”
Both of her daughters were in the room when Isabelle died, according to her mother. “To have both of her babies with her while that thing was happening to her was just unimaginable and so maddening that they had to be put through that,” she said.
A fundraiser has been started to help send Isabelle’s eldest daughter to a child trauma therapy specialist in Vancouver. The two children are currently in the care of their immediate family.
“The babies needed their mother,” said Leslie who has added that she’s received a lot of support from the community. A memorial service was held for Isabelle last weekend and several hundred community members were in attendance.
