Man charged in intimate partner's death after body found in N.S. home that was set on fire

A 28-year-old man has been charged with murdering his intimate partner after a woman was found dead in a home in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley that was lit on fire, according to police.

Justin Joseph Benjamin is accused of second-degree murder and arson with disregard to human life after the body of the 22-year-old woman was located in the home in Centreville, N.S., on Saturday.

He appeared briefly in provincial court on Monday. He remains in custody and is scheduled to return to court at the end of January.

RCMP said in a news release that firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene around 3 a.m. Saturday and found the home engulfed in flames. Six people escaped the fire and were not injured.

Police said the suspect was arrested around noon on Highway 8 near Lequille, N.S. He was held in custody and charged the next day.

The news release said the victim was killed as the result of intimate partner violence. Police have not released her name.

David Corkum, the mayor of Kings County, called the death of the woman tragic and shocking. Corkum described Centreville as a quiet and close-knit community. He said he lives about a kilometre from the subdivision where it happened.

"This is not something you would find happen in this area very often so it's a big shock to the community and very upsetting and so many friends and relatives — almost everybody knows everybody and certainly everyone in that subdivision was probably touched by these people at one time or another," Corkum said.

The mayor said he is sure local organizations will be reaching out to people who knew the woman to offer support.

"One thing about the people in the Valley is they're usually very generous and they come forward to help out when they can in tragic situations," he said.

The victim is the sixth woman in three months to be killed by her male partner in Nova Scotia. 

• On Jan. 5, Elaine Mosher, 60, was killed by her partner at a home in Mahone Bay. 
• On Dec. 31, Corelee (Alisha) Smith, 40, was killed alongside her father, Bradford (Coy) Downey, in Halifax by her partner.
• On Nov. 7, a 71-year-old Cole Harbour woman was killed by her husband in their home. Police have not released her name.
• On Nov. 1, Nicole Murphy, 49, was killed by her partner in their Yarmouth home.
• On Oct. 18, Brenda Tatlock-Burke, 59, was killed by her husband, a retired RCMP officer, in their Enfield home.

Xylia Fraser is the shelter manager of Chrysalis House, a transition house in Kentville, N.S., for women fleeing domestic abuse. In an email to CBC News, she said there has been a "steep increase in the frequency and severity" of intimate partner violence in Kings, Annapolis and Hants counties since 2020. 

"Rural areas in our province face unique challenges when it comes to intimate partner violence due to factors such as higher levels of isolation, less accessible or no public transportation, more spread out resources (which are often under or not stably funded), closer-knit communities, and gender norms," wrote Fraser. 

Corkum said while he personally hadn't heard of an increase in intimate partner violence in the area, he believes Fraser.

"Unfortunately in these tougher times, that's when things like this normally happen and it's very, very unfortunate."

The Nova Scotia Legislature adopted a bill in September declaring domestic violence an epidemic in the province.

Kristina Fifield, a trauma therapist who specializes in gender-based violence, said she wasn't surprised to hear about another death related to intimate partner violence in the province.

"I've been seeing increased rates in violence in my work, each and every day with my clients and also the work I do in the sector," Fifield told CBC News.

"It's a very concerning trend that we're seeing in the province right now, and I think we're going to continue to see this trend until we address the root causes of why men are using violence against women."

Fifield said the root causes are things like the normalization of violence. She said more services are needed to address men that use violence and building that into early intervention and prevention work.

Another issue, Fifield said, is that there is often a culture of silence around intimate partner violence.

"Just because we're not hearing about it or seeing it, it is happening in homes, it's happening in workplaces, it's happening in all parts of society, and the more we continue to say it's not happening — that is a problem, right? We need to be talking about this," she said.

In rural areas, Fifield said women experiencing intimate partner violence may be too afraid to speak up out of fear they would be further rejected and isolated from other people in their lives. She said a lack of access to the internet or cell service or limited transportation to services can also be barriers in rural areas that can prevent people from getting help.

For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services. ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• A list of transition houses across Nova Scotia.
• Family violence resources helpline 1-855-225-0220.
• The Transition Housing Association of Nova Scotia website.
• Canada's Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call or text 988.
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on the website.
• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
• This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.