Joseph Chlala, Alberta murder suspect wanted on Canada-wide warrant, arrested in U.S.

A murder suspect on the run for more than a year and wanted on a Canada-wide warrant was finally apprehended outside the country and brought back to face justice.

Joseph Chlala, 23, was arrested in New York state earlier this week, as announced by the Edmonton Police Service on Friday.

Chlala was wanted in connection with a homicide that occurred last summer in a newer suburb on the southern edge of the city.

On Monday, June 12, 2023, around 6:30 p.m., police responded to reports of an injured man in an alley near Allard Link SW and Arthurs Crescent SW.

Officers discovered Osama Ali, 21, deceased in the alley in the Allard neighbourhood. An autopsy two days later revealed that he died of gunshot wounds, and the case was classified as a homicide.

Three months later, a Canada-wide warrant was issued for Chlala, who was sought for second-degree murder in the death of Ali.

Homicide investigators believed that Chlala and Ali were acquainted, stating that both men were on the police radar before the shooting. The police described the death as occurring “within a context of organized crime.”

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Chlala was already evading authorities at the time of the homicide.

A warrant had been issued for him three months earlier in Calgary, where he removed his tracking bracelet and failed to appear in court for sentencing in a homicide case after pleading guilty to manslaughter in January 2023.

Last week, Chlala resurfaced south of the border.

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Edmonton police were informed on Monday, Aug. 5, that Chlala had been apprehended by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police in Akwesasne, NY.

The Ontario Provincial Police took custody of Chlala after he was deported from the United States.

“The OPP is a partner agency on the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST). Maintaining border integrity is only one aspect of the BEST mandate,” said OPP Det. Insp. Rob Johnston. “The cross-border cooperation, coordinated efforts, and partnerships that exist between law enforcement in Canada and the United States play an integral role in occurrences such as this.”

Chlala was one of the suspects sought through the Bolo Program, which stands for “Be On The Lookout.”

The Bolo Program enhances police requests for public assistance on most wanted cases, utilizing social media and technology to urge citizens to be on the lookout for Canada’s most wanted fugitives.

Suspects are featured on billboards, social media campaigns, and flyers distributed across Canada. A reward of up to $50,000 was offered for any information leading to Chlala’s arrest.

“Today, our communities are safer thanks to great police work and the entire country being on the lookout for Joseph Chlala. Together, we can make our communities safer,” said Maxime Langlois, executive director of the Bolo Program.

The Edmonton Police Service collaborated with the Bolo Program to locate Canada’s most wanted suspects, including Chlala.

“We are grateful for the awareness that the Bolo Program created,” said Det. Bryan Macaulay from the EPS homicide section.

“This is also another great example of law enforcement agencies working together to find a suspect wanted for murder, regardless of our jurisdictional borders.”

The Bolo Program is an initiative from the Stephan Crétier Foundation, a charity organization established in 2006 by the CEO of GardaWorld Security Corporation.

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