Pictou County man charged with murder after 88-year-old dies from alleged axe assault
61-year-old John Douglas Cress charged with second-degree murder
An 88-year-old woman is dead following an alleged axe assault in Pictou County on Monday morning.
Nova Scotia RCMP said in a release Tuesday they've charged 61-year-old John Douglas Cress of Thorburn, N.S., with second-degree murder.
"It was just before 9 a.m. [Monday] morning we received a report of a person being armed with an axe and running into the woods," said Cpl. Chris Marshall.
"A few minutes later, we got a call from a person having been injured, and described their injuries as serious."
After locating the woman, police said she was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The man allegedly fled into the woods, prompting police to issue an emergency alert for residents of Pictou, Antigonish and Colchester counties. The alert was cancelled following his arrest later Monday morning.
He was found behind Greenwood Street, suffering serious injuries. Police said Tuesday he remains in the hospital and is in stable condition.
On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, RCMP previously said the victim is known to the suspect.