The man believed to be responsible for the shooting death of two women in Chilliwack last week has been found dead, police confirmed today.
According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, 50-year-old Eric Shestalo was found dead near Bridal Falls on Monday.
“The preliminary findings are that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” IHIT explained. “An autopsy is pending and the investigation is continuing.”
Emergency crews were first called to the scene of the shooting in the 9700 block of McNaught Drive around 11 am on Thursday, July 21.
Two women suffering from gunshot wounds unfortunately succumbed to their injuries, while another man was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
IHIT took conduct of the investigation and identified Shestalo, who knew all three victims, as the primary suspect, which sparked a search for him and his red Jeep YJ.
His vehicle was found in the Bridal Falls area the following day and a search for the 50-year-old continued until his body was found on Monday.
In an effort to advance the investigation, IHIT has identified the two women who were killed in this shooting as 43-year-old Amber Culley and 49-year-old Mimi Cates.
Anyone with information that could be beneficial to investigators is urged to contact the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-4448.
The family of both victims have asked for privacy in their time of loss and grieving, but Culley’s family did issue the following statement:
“She was the most loving, generous, compassionate and brave human being we have ever known. We will miss her madly, but we will never let a murderer put out her bright light or destroy our little boys lives. Her children were her world. We wish to thank our extended family, friends and beautiful humans in the Lower Mainland and around the world for the outpouring of love, which is beyond proof of her worth. We wish to thank IHIT, the RCMP and Victims Services, who have worked 24/7 for the past four days to find her perpetrator and have shown us priceless love and respect.”
