Unsolved double homicide case gains renewed focus

Three years after her daughter was shot to death in a still-unsolved homicide, Melissa Robertson is determined to bring Mya Abialmouna's case back into the public eye.

Mya, 21, and Mohamed Fofanah, 20, were killed in a shooting on March 7, 2023, near 132A Avenue and 66 Street. When the case broke, media focus fell heavily on Fofanah—his brother had been murdered just six months earlier—while Mya's name faded into the background.

"What do you do to try to help your child who's gone and has seemingly almost been forgotten?" Robertson said in a recent interview.

Mya grew up in south Edmonton, attended J. Percy Page High School, and competed in ballet, jazz, and hip hop dancing. She was working at a pet store and taking upgrading courses in hopes of studying social work. At 21, she was just beginning to explore what adulthood could look like.

Mya and Fofanah had dated as teenagers but were growing apart by 2023. They reconnected after Fofanah's brother died, and Mya didn't want to abandon him during his grief. The day before the shooting, both seemed distressed; Fofanah refused to remove his jacket.

On that fatal evening, Mya asked Fofanah to drive her to an appointment in her car. After a minor fender bender, they stopped to wait for police. At around 7:35 p.m., someone opened fire on the vehicle. Edmonton police homicide detective Jared Buhler later described them as "sitting ducks."

The case remains unsolved. Robertson's decision to speak publicly is a parent's refusal to let her daughter's story disappear.