For Andrea Egotik, 2026 marks a year of profound grief. In January, RCMP officers arrived at her Nunavut home with devastating news: her daughter had died. “I wake up crying. I go to bed crying,” she shares. “I just want my honey and my Ingu.” In her culture, Ingu signifies grandchild.

Discovery of Ayla’s Body

Late in January, authorities located the remains of 23-year-old Ayla Egotik-Learn in her St. Albert apartment. Officials determine she had been deceased since early December. A property manager uncovered a suspicious package during an eviction process, prompting the investigation. Despite thorough searches, nine-month-old Braylee, Ayla’s daughter, remains missing.

“My honey was so happy to finally be a mom. My Ingu was her world,” Andrea recalls. Ayla relocated to St. Albert in 2024 after connecting with Christopher Beasley, a coworker in the kitchen of a Goose Lake, NWT mining camp.

History of Domestic Abuse

Court documents reveal a troubled relationship marked by domestic violence. Last July, 33-year-old Beasley pleaded guilty to assaulting Ayla from mid-February to late April. He received an 18-month probation sentence. Authorities also filed two charges against him for threatening to kill Ayla, but both were later dropped.

RCMP classify Ayla’s death as domestic violence. Beasley faces charges of second-degree murder and indignity to a human body. “I never thought this would ever happen,” Andrea states. “My honey never told me that Christopher beat on her.”

Fake Messages and Family Deception

No one reported Ayla missing initially, as text messages arrived purporting to be from her—even over a month after her death. Andrea suspects Beasley sent them. “I am so mad. I didn’t know it wasn’t my honey,” she explains. “He was asking both Ross [Ayla’s dad] and me for money, and of course, we both sent it.”

Andrea possesses messages from Christmas and as late as January 15, showing the impersonation.

Plea for Closure

RCMP have not issued further updates. Andrea clings to hope they will locate Braylee. “I had my daughter cremated, and it would only be right for Braylee to be with her mom,” she says, believing it aligns with Ayla’s wishes.

She recounts a dream: “Ayla stood alone, cradled her arms, then unfolded them. She gestured, ‘Where?’ Like she was asking, where is her baby?”

A GoFundMe campaign supports urn and cremation expenses, plus flights from Nunavut to Edmonton. “I want justice for both of them… They should still be here today,” Andrea affirms. Locating Braylee could bring the closure the family desperately needs.