Calgary police hope a grainy image from a surveillance camera will be enough to jog witnesses' memories as they continue to investigate the death of a woman found near an LRT station.

A grainy image from a surveillance camera may be enough to jog witnesses' memories as Calgary police continue to investigate the death of a woman found near an LRT station last week.

Calgary police released a security video image of Arcelie Laoagan at an LRT station shortly before she was killed.
(Calgary Police Service)

Police believe the woman, identified by family as Arcelie Laoagan, 41, was slain in a random attack and have issued a warning to Calgary women to avoid deserted transit platforms and bus stops, and to stay in well-lit areas or in groups when out at night.

Investigators released a photo of the victim Wednesday, hoping it will elicit information from anyone who may have been on the northeast leg of the McKnight-Westwinds C-Train between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Jan. 17.

The image, from an LRT surveillance camera, shows her wearing a three-quarter-length black coat, a black toque, light-coloured pants and brown zip-up boots. Police said the image was taken shortly before she was killed.

Other security video shows Laoagan leaving the Franklin LRT station at about 10:30 that night after she finished a shift at a document company, one of two jobs she worked. Her body was found near the station the next morning.

Laoagan's brother and two sisters could not positively identify her on Tuesday night because her face was beaten so badly.

Arcelie Laoagan had applied to sponsor her husband and five sons to join her in Canada from the Philippines.
(CBC)

"It is hard to recognize, but for us, we know her. The face and the feet — you can see she is our sister," said Marlyn Hori, Laoagan's sister.

Calgary police are waiting for DNA results before they make a conclusive identification.

Laoagan had a husband and five sons aged 8 to 19 in the Philippines who she had applied to sponsor to join her in Canada. She hadn't seen her family for six years.

Late Tuesday night, officers recovered one of the ladies' brown zip-up boots she had been wearing, near the area where she was found.

They are still looking for her brown purse, with a shoulder strap and several shiny dots or decorative sequins, that may contain her cellphone and identification.

A service for Laoagan will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the southwest Calgary Full Gospel Church, which she attended.