A 43-year-old Edmonton woman found dead along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River is being remembered as a caring, kind-hearted mother.
Ashley Burke was found dead on Dec. 30, east of the Quesnell Bridge near Whitemud Park on the riverbank in southwest Edmonton.
Homicide detectives say her death was the result of intimate partner violence. Daniel Boothman, 31, has been charged with second-degree murder in her death.
Abigail Michele Robson said she is still coming to grips with the cruel circumstances of her mother's death.
Robson, 20, said her mother was selfless with a characteristic East Coast charm that made her fast friends with the strangers she served at her waitressing jobs over the years.
"She was just a very kind, strong woman who would do anything for anybody," Robson said in an interview Monday.
"No matter what situation she was in, she would drop everything to help somebody else.
"She would give you, like, the shirt off of her back."
Robson said Burke lived in Edmonton but enjoyed a happy upbringing in the sleepy town of Pictou on the scenic North Shore of Nova Scotia.
She worked at a local pizza spot there for years but made the move to Alberta about a decade ago, Robson said.
Burke had hoped the move out west would provide a fresh start and give her daughter better opportunities in her early education.
As Robson grew older, the bond between mother and daughter only grew closer.
"It was just me and my mom against everything," Robson said. "Especially in the last few years, she became like my best friend.
"As I got a little bit older and I realized more of the struggles she went through, I was able to have more compassion for her and I got to know her a lot."
Robson said her mother had an easy kindness. But behind her bright smile, something painful often pulled her under.
Burke struggled with substance use issues that had worsened in recent years, Robson said.
But she had been working hard to stay clean and start over, with help from her daughter.
"She did her best with the situation she was given," Robson said, "I don't want her to be defined by these actions and these life events because it's not who she was."
"Despite her flaws, she did the best she could with what she was given. And she was a very good mother to me."
Police said an autopsy has been completed on Burke's remains but they will continue to withhold the cause of Burke's death for investigative purposes.
Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact the Edmonton Police Service.
As the family awaits answers on the investigation, Robson said she hopes her mother's death helps raise awareness about the danger domestic violence victims face — and that the tragedy helps others find the strength to leave.
Robson said funeral arrangements are still being made but her mother's remains will be laid to rest in the family plot in Pictou. Many relatives have flown in from Nova Scotia this week to bring her home.
Robson wishes she could hug her mother one more time but felt grateful she's had the chance to say goodbye.
"I just got home from the funeral home today. I got to see her one last time."