Edmonton man accused of killing girlfriend has murder charge reduced to manslaughter

An Edmonton man accused of killing his girlfriend last year will now be tried for manslaughter after the second-degree murder charge against him was reduced.

Collin Boucher-Gionet, 36, is accused in the killing of Aylissa Rovere, a 32-year-old mother of two.

Rovere was last seen alive on Sept. 6, 2024. Her body was found the following week when police searched a home in Parkland County, about 40 kilometres west of downtown Edmonton.

Within days, Boucher-Gionet, now 36, was apprehended on an arrest warrant and he has remained in custody since, facing charges of second-degree murder and indignity to human remains.

The second-degree murder charge against him was downgraded to manslaughter during a court appearance in the Edmonton Court of Justice this week.

Court records show the charge was amended Monday as Boucher-Gionet was formally ordered to stand trial in the Court of King’s Bench.

A question of intent

In Canada, the key differences between manslaughter and second-degree murder is based on criminal intent.

Second-degree murder is committed with intent but without premeditation. The minimum sentence is life in prison with no parole for 10 years, but sentences can be as long as life in prison without parole for 25 years.

Manslaughter, however, is defined as a culpable homicide, meaning a death that occurred without an intent to kill the victim.

It carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of four years if a firearm was used.

The charge against Boucher-Gionet for indignity to human remains has not been changed.

In a statement to CBC News, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) said the preliminary inquiry stage of the case has been completed and the accused has been committed to stand trial next year.

Officials with the ACPS said Crown prosecutors had met with both the family of the victim and the Edmonton Police Service to discuss the change in the charges.

The Crown declined to comment further, citing the ongoing criminal proceedings.

Rovere’s death, among a string of domestic violence homicides reported in Edmonton, prompted calls for improved support for survivors and questions about the strength of Alberta’s probation system.

Boucher-Gionet, who has an extensive criminal record, was on probation at the time of the Rovere’s killing.

Rovere’s family has declined to comment on the case, citing their desire to protect the pending trial proceedings.

The first appearance in King’s Bench is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2026.