'Gut feeling': Daughter of slain woman found near North Saskatchewan River speaks out about domestic violence

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Abbey Robson moved to Edmonton with her mother from her small Nova Scotia town 10 years ago for a fresh start.

There were some good times, and certainly struggles, but the two of them had goals and dreams — never did Robson think it would come to a deadly end.

Robson’s mother, Ashley Burke, 43, was found slain along the North Saskatchewan River on Dec. 30. Four days later, Edmonton homicide detectives arrested 31-year-old Daniel Boothman for second-degree murder, in what police are calling an ‘intimate partner’ homicide.

“I’m still in shock. I don’t really believe it and it hasn’t hit me yet,” Robson, 20, told Postmedia earlier this week.

“She was my grandfather’s only daughter, and my grandmother’s first daughter, and I remember when I had to call and tell them what happened to my mom, all I could say to them was I’m so sorry … a parent should never have to bury their child, that’s not the natural cycle of life.”

Robson received the news of her mom’s death over the phone from an Edmonton police detective, and immediately started to feel sick to her stomach. She knew what the detective was going to say.

“I just knew. My body just dropped. I had this sick feeling in my stomach. I was screaming, my mom’s dead, my mom’s dead,” recalled Robson.

‘I was on a mission’

Robson said after the call, she felt like she was “going crazy” and jumped in her car and started to drive around to the different police stations around the city to find out more details of her mother’s death.

“Eventually I went to (police) headquarters. One way or another, I was finding out what happened to my mother. I was on a mission,” said Robson.

“As soon as I was told it was a homicide, I had a gut feeling I knew what happened. I knew right away.”

Robson said her mother wasn’t in a ‘romantic’ relationship with Boothman, but described the accused killer as “more of a friend.”

“I had met him before. I had a bad feeling about this person. You know when you get that bad vibe or energy from a person — I never liked him,” said Robson.

Robson said her mother dealt with mental health and addiction off and on over the past several years, but in the last year was showing signs of going down the right path.

She described her mother as a “strong, kind-hearted” woman who loved life and was always there for anyone who needed her.

“I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me over the last few days and tell me no matter what my mom was going through, she always took the time to be there for them and listen. She was always there for me and others when we needed it most,” said Robson.

“No matter the struggles, she always had a beautiful smile and she was such a genuine and loving person.”

Burke’s death is one of four cases across the country, and the second in Alberta in the last two weeks, to have involved forms of femicide and domestic violence. Robson said she’s sharing her mother’s story to bring attention to this issue.

“It’s a very scary and real problem. Femicide and domestic violence has become a real issue, and it needs more attention,” said Robson.

“Not only does it affect the victim, but it affects the family they leave behind. My heart goes out to the other families that have been affected by this the past few weeks, and any other family that has been impacted by this.“

‘Had to turn away about 2,000 people’

WIN House executive director Leslie Allen said they’ve seen a large increase in domestic violence-related cases this year in Edmonton and it’s reached critical levels since the pandemic. Staff have seen a massive increase in calls over the past four years, and they’re struggling to help those in need.

“We just finished our 2024 stats and what stood out the most is we had to turn away about 2,000 people because we just don’t have the resources, and sadly those people aren’t getting services and aren’t finding a safe place when they need it,” said Allen.

Allen said Edmonton’s lack of affordable housing is a large factor and shelters around the city are having trouble moving women onto the next phase when they enter the shelters.

“Emergency shelters are supposed to be used for 30 days, but we have women have had to stay with us for six months because there is no safe place for them to go,” said Allen.

Allen said femicide and domestic violence cases are going to continue to grow if measures aren’t taken to face issues like housing head-on.

“We’re just going to see more and more of this,” said Allen. “Until those voices are being heard and we can work together as community to solve this problem.”

While Robson is still trying to process and grieve her mother’s death, she’s determined to share her mother’s story.

“I couldn’t help my mom before she passed away, and I feel like this is what I can do for my mom,” said Robson.

“I went to the funeral home to see her and I spent an hour with her. I just held her hand and I hugged her and told her I was sorry, and that she is going to be at peace now — there will be no more suffering.”

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