A 27-year-old Lethbridge man is dead and two men who knew him are facing the most serious criminal charge in Canada after a Friday morning assault inside a south side apartment complex.
Lethbridge Police and EMS were called to the 200 block of 7A Avenue South at 6:30 a.m. on March 27 following a report of an assault. Officers arrived to find the man unresponsive inside one of the units. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two arrested the next day
The case was assumed by the Criminal Investigation Section and treated as a homicide. Within 24 hours, police had their suspects.
Darcy Andrew Medicine Crane, 43, and Jordan Frank North Peigan, 27 both Lethbridge residents were arrested without incident on March 28 and each charged with one count of first-degree murder. Both men have been remanded in custody. Medicine Crane appeared in court March 30. North Peigan is next scheduled to appear April 7.
A targeted killing
Police say this was not a random attack. Investigators say evidence indicates the assault was a targeted incident between parties known to one another the victim and both accused had a prior relationship before that Friday morning.
The investigation remains active and Lethbridge Police have not ruled out additional charges. The service has confirmed no further details will be released and there will be no media availability.
Murder in Lethbridge: context
Homicide is rare in Lethbridge by most measures. According to Statistics Canada data published in late 2025, the city recorded just one murder in each of 2023 and 2024 well below the national homicide rate of 1.91 per 100,000 people. Lethbridge's rate worked out to 0.72, among the lowest of any mid-sized Canadian city.
That broader picture of violence has also been improving. Lethbridge Police reported in early 2025 that overall crime in the city dropped 16 per cent in 2024, with the Crime Severity Index falling 18 per cent part of a consistent five-year downward trend since crime peaked in the city in 2019.
Assault dropped 12 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023. Sexual assault fell 38 per cent. Property crime was down 24 per cent.
The March 27 killing now stands as the city's first recorded homicide of 2026.
What first-degree murder means
Under the Criminal Code of Canada, first-degree murder is a planned and deliberate killing the most serious criminal charge in the country. A conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no parole eligibility for a minimum of 25 years.
The accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sources:
Lethbridge Police Service: https://www.lethbridgepolice.ca/news/posts/police-charge-two-males-with-first-degree-murder/
LPS 2024 Crime Statistics: https://www.lethbridgepolice.ca/news/posts/crime-decreases-significantly-in-2024-in-all-areas-of-the-city/
