Brampton, Ontario, Canada – Savannah Kulla, a 29-year-old mother of four, who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, Anthony Deschepper, who abducted their 1-year-old daughter in a desperate bid to flee in a tragic domestic violence incident that ended with his death during a police confrontation.
Authorities say Kulla’s body was found Tuesday afternoon in a shopping center parking lot in Brampton after she had been abducted alongside her one-year-old daughter. The infant was later found safe with family members in Niagara Falls following an Amber Alert that spread rapidly across Ontario.
Deschepper, 39, reportedly left the child with relatives before police tracked him to a gas station early Wednesday morning. According to Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), Deschepper was shot dead by police during what they described as an “interaction” gone wrong. A firearm was recovered at the scene, though investigators said there was no evidence he fired it.
Kulla’s mother, Karen, described the weeks leading up to the tragedy as increasingly tense. “He was so in love with her—to the point of obsession,” she told CityNews. “Savannah kept saying, ‘I have to get away from him.’ She was trying to end it for good.”
Friends and family say Kulla was devoted to her children—three young sons from a previous relationship and the baby daughter she shared with Deschepper. “Her world revolved around her kids,” a friend wrote on a GoFundMe page raising funds for the children’s care. “She loved them fiercely and wanted to build a safe, loving life for them.”
The SIU is now investigating the circumstances surrounding Deschepper’s death, while police continue to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the abduction and murder.
Domestic violence advocates say Kulla’s death reflects a broader national crisis. According to Statistics Canada, one in three women experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime, with many cases escalating after separation.
“This tragedy highlights the urgency of recognizing warning signs and providing safe exit plans for those in abusive relationships,” said Dr. Marissa Yates, a Toronto-based family violence researcher. “Obsessive love often masks coercive control—and that can quickly turn deadly.”
As Brampton residents leave flowers and messages at the site where Kulla’s life was cut short, her loved ones are left grappling with unimaginable loss—and a shared call for change.