Ottawa man charged with arson, murder in death of former Iqaluit woman
Ahmed Hozayen, 30, charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ottokie Kelly
A 30-year-old Ottawa man has been charged with first-degree murder and four arson-related crimes in the death of Ottokie Kelly, who was originally from Iqaluit, in October. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
A 30-year-old man has been charged in connection with a fire that claimed the life of an Iqaluit woman in Ottawa in October.
Ottokie Kelly, 51, was critically injured in a fire on Rossland Avenue in Ottawa’s Nepean area on Oct. 8. She died six weeks later in a Toronto hospital on Nov. 21. Her partner, who lived with her in Ottawa for 15 years, also suffered serious injuries in the blaze, according to the Ottawa Police Service.
In a news release Friday, Ottawa police said Ahmed Hozayen is charged with first-degree murder, arson causing bodily harm, arson causing property damage, arson with disregard of human life, and possession of an incendiary material for arson.
Police did not say whether Kelly and Hozayen were acquainted with each other.
Hozayen appeared in court for a bail hearing Friday morning.
Ottawa police initially treated the fire as arson before investigating it as a homicide on Nov. 22.
Kelly, originally from Iqaluit, had lived in Ottawa for two decades. In November, her family in Nunavut was fundraising to bring her body home for a memorial and funeral service. The family had launched a 50/50 draw to raise the $6,000 needed for her body’s release.
This poor woman spent the last wretched 6 weeks of her life in utter agony. In a just country, her murderer would be swinging from the gallows and picked apart by crows. However we don’t live in that country anymore. I weep for Canada. I weep for the City of Ottawa, which, day by day and drip by drip becomes slowly unrecognizable.