An RCMP cruiser parked near where 14-year-old Emily Stauffer was killed Saturday. RCMP said another woman was accosted on a walking trail Tuesday afternoon. (CBC)

A woman in her early 20s was accosted on a walking path Tuesday afternoon in Edson, Alta., just three days after a 14-year-old girl was killed on a pathway in another part of town.

The incident took place on the town's east side around 1:30 p.m. MT, RCMP said in a release. The woman was taken to hospital and released.

Residents of the town of 8,000 people, 200 kilometres west of Edmonton, are still shocked over the daylight slaying of Emily Stauffer on Saturday along a popular walking path in the northwest part of Edson.

RCMP said they will compare the details of Tuesday's incident to what they believe happened on Saturday.

"Until we conduct further investigation into this, we really cannot definitively say if there is any link or commonality between the two," said RCMP Cpl. Wayne Oakes.

Police described the man responsible for Tuesday's attack as a white male in his mid-20s, more than 5-foot-9, with a muscular build and dirty hands.

He was wearing a black hoodie with white lettering on the chest and red lettering or material around the edge of the hood, black BOCA pants and smelled strongly of cologne and body odour, police said.

Police described a suspect in the attack on Emily Stauffer as a white male, about 30 years old, with brown hair. He was wearing jeans and a blue jacket.

Edson Mayor Greg Pasychny said he reacted with disbelief to the news of Tuesday's attack. "Oh my God, not again," he said.

"It's one thing to have it happen one day and not even three days later, the next thing you know, the same thing is happening again. It's really kind of scary for a community our size," Pasychny said.

Pasychny said RCMP are using their helicopter and police dogs to search the area near the latest attack.

Schools in the town were locked down as a precaution.

Pasychny said staff called parents to come pick up their children and would not release them without identification from the adults.