Maple Ridge partner charged with second-degree murder after Jessica Cunningham's remains found

Investigators recommended and prosecutors approved a charge of second-degree murder on March 3, 2026, against 48-year-old Mylie Andre Barron in the death of his partner, 43-year-old Jessica Cunningham, after human remains were found last August inside the upper unit of the Gillis Place home the pair shared in Maple Ridge.

Cunningham was last seen in early June 2025 and was officially reported missing in July 2025. The investigation intensified after the couple’s landlord called police for a wellness check on July 25, 2025, saying Cunningham had not been heard from for more than a month and Barron would not open the door. When officers attended that day, Barron told police Cunningham was in Victoria.

The discovery of Cunningham’s remains followed the missing-person probe, and the BC Prosecution Service approved an initial charge of indignity to human remains the day after the remains were found in August 2025. Barron later pleaded guilty to interfering with Cunningham’s remains and was sentenced in early March 2026 to 21 months in jail for that offence. With 287 days credit for time served, he has 343 days left to serve, followed by 18 months of probation.

Police took a statement from Barron on Aug. 20, 2025, and he handed over Cunningham’s cellphone as part of that interview. Following his arrest, Barron was held in custody in segregation for safety reasons, and at his sentencing appearance he appeared by video with his face not shown to the public; court reporting noted he appeared to cry as the judge described the state in which Cunningham’s body was found. The judge also recorded that Barron had expressed remorse and an intent to rehabilitate.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says additional evidence gathered since the indignity charge met the legal threshold for a murder charge. IHIT Sgt. Freda Fong said, "In this case, we did gather the best evidence available and it did meet the threshold for second-degree murder." Sgt. Fong added, "This is a tragic case and the details were hard to hear for the police and her family and our thoughts are with them during this difficult time."

Court documents and the Crown’s agreed statement of facts filed in proceedings state Barron and Cunningham had lived in the upper unit on Gillis Place since early 2024, and the court heard the couple frequently used illicit drugs, including cocaine and meth. City court reporting also records that Barron lied to Cunningham’s family and to police about her whereabouts during the missing-person investigation.

Barron remains in custody on the outstanding second-degree murder charge, and his next scheduled court appearance is March 26, 2026. Prosecutors have not yet proceeded to trial on the murder charge; IHIT and the BC Prosecution Service have said the recommendation and approval followed the accumulation of further evidence since the initial charges.