Richmond RCMP is confirming late Saturday that a man shot in a mall parking lot in the 11300-block of Steveston Hwy. earlier this evening has now died.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is now in charge of the investigation.

The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. The victim, a 50-year-old businessman, was inside a black pick-up truck when someone opened fire.

The mall was just closing and the parking lot was busy,

Cpl. Dennis Hwang said “no further details will be available at this time.”

More to come…

Readers often comment on the high number of unsolved murders – particularly when there are gang members involved either as victims or suspects. 

Homicide detectives often say these cases can take years to solve and that they never quit even when the murder is no longer front and centre in the community’s mind.

The arrests of two gangsters in the 2010 murder of Mandy Johnson this week prove that’s true.

Johnson was the unintended target of a gang hit – she was sitting in the passenger seat of a car driven by her boyfriend at the time – Gater Browne. He was uninjured. The young mom was killed.

Here’s my story about the arrests:

Charges laid against gangsters in 2010 shooting of Abbotsford woman

Two Abbotsford gangsters have been charged in the fatal 2010 shooting of a young mother and the attempted murder of her gangster boyfriend.

Gavinder Grewal, who police have issued warnings about in the past, has been charged with manslaughter for the July 2010 shooting that killed Mandy Johnson, as well as the attempt on the life of Gater Browne, her boyfriend at the time.

Also charged is Jason Gregory Himphen, 41. He faces one count of second-degree murder and one of attempted murder. 

Grewal, 29, was arrested Friday afternoon, while Himpfen was picked up Wednesday morning as he was released from the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre after serving another sentence.

Grewal appeared in Abbotsford Provincial Court Tuesday and was remanded in custody until his next appearance on June 23. Himpfen was expected to appear in court later Wednesday. 

Johnson was shot to death on July 28, 2010 as she sat in the passenger’s seat of Browne’s vehicle near Poplar Avenue and Townline Road.

Gavinder Grewal

Her mother issued a statement through the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team Wednesday.

 “Mandy was innocent and did not deserve to die. She was a loving mother, an amazing daughter, a wonderful sister and the best friend to many. She was caring, compassionate and full of life. Until they decided to take her life away,” said the statement, signed only by “Mandy’s mom.”

“This selfish act has changed my life, and the lives of those who knew and loved her, forever. Her only fault was falling in love with a guy that didn’t deserve her and trusting that her love would be enough. It was not enough and she sadly paid with her life.”

Jason Himpfen in an undated mugshot

The mother said the pain of losing her daughter would never go away.

“As I look back at the last six years I know that these charges did not come without dedication and commitment and, as my family and I move through the next chapter of this process, I want to thank all of the investigators whose hard work and perseverance will finally bring justice for Mandy.”

Browne, who was not injured in the deadly shooting, later admitted on his Facebook page that he was the intended target. And he threatened to name the killers. He also openly plotted revenge.

“Hey you goofs, why don’t you come finish what you started and do it rite this time but instead you kill my old laddy and not me now i am going to make your lifes not worth living,” Browne wrote on Oct. 6, 2010. “Or should i plaster your … names all over face book so everyone knows who murdered mandie who wants to know who did this to mandie?”

Browne later told a judge that his life spiraled out of control after the murder.

He said he had been prepared to leave gang life behind when he fell in love Johnson. But after he lost her, he started using drugs daily and carrying a loaded gun.

He was arrested in Surrey after a high-speed police chase and in 2012 was sentenced to four and a half years in jail.

Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound said the case “is another example of how difficult homicide investigations can be.”

“IHIT has remained committed to obtaining justice for Mandy Johnson despite the passage of time and we would be remiss if we did not thank the family and friends for their patience,” she said.

Himpfen has a lengthy criminal history dating back 20 years across the Lower Mainland, including convictions for assault with a weapon, possession of stolen property, theft , breaches, drug trafficking and possession of a loaded restricted firearm.

Grewal has a criminal conviction for extortion and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. He is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Grewal, along with two associates, was the subject of an extraordinary public warning by the Abbotsford Police Department last year.

All three were believed to be involved in the “Townline Hill conflict” that has led to several shootings. One of the three, Jimi Sandhu, was deported to his native India in April.

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Suspect vehicle

Homicide investigators are looking for a vehicle in connection with the June 4 murder of Richmond businessman Amarjit Sandhu.

The vehicle has been described as a gold or silver Chevrolet Trail Blazer.

Sandhu, 56, was shot to death about 6:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Ironwood Plaza at 11320 Steveston Highway as shocked shoppers watched in disbelief.  

Earlier IHIT said the suspect was in his early to mid 20s, about six feet tall, with a slim build. He was wearing a grey hoodie or coat, with medium to dark pants and possibly a baseball cap, she said.

Sandhu was a developer who built residential and commercial buildings mostly in Richmond and Langley. 

Anyone with information about his murder is asked to call the tipline of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team at 1-877-551-4448.

Rachel Pernosky’s estranged half-brother has been charged in connection with the Mission teen’s 2013 murder.

Matthew Joseph Pernosky, 31, appeared in provincial court in Abbotsford on Monday to face charges of second-degree murder and committing an indignity to human remains by having sexual contact with and disposing of her body.

His next appearance is scheduled for July 11.

Rachel Pernosky, 18, was reported missing on the afternoon of March 16, 2013. She was last seen alive at her home in the 7700-block Kite Street in Mission. Her purse and cellphone were left at her home and social-media communications abruptly stopped.

“Her disappearance was out of character and caused great concern for her family,” said Integrated Homicide Investigation Team spokeswoman Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound.

After three days of searching by police and volunteers, a passerby spotted Pernosky’s body down a steep embankment in the 43400-block Old Orchard Road in Chilliwack.

“It was clear that Rachel had met with foul play and IHIT assumed conduct,” Pound said.

“The randomness of her murder shocked the community of Mission and beyond, and public safety was paramount to all agencies involved.”

However, Pound said, police quickly determined that Pernosky’s murder had not been random, and her half-brother was identified as a suspect early on in the investigation.

Last Thursday, there was sufficient evidence to support charges against Matthew Pernosky — a Richmond resident — and he was arrested the next day without incident. Charges were sworn on Saturday and he made his first court appearance that day.

“This is a tragic case that has left a family with many unanswered questions,” Pound said.

In a written statement, Pernosky’s family said they were grateful and relieved that an arrest had been made three years later, but said they were having difficulty with the fact that an estranged family member had been charged with her murder.

They said there is a “deep void” in their lives, and she is missed and remembered every day.

“Rachel was a mother, daughter, sister and a friend. Rachel’s absence from our lives has left many broken hearts and great devastation,” her family said.

“Her senseless murder has left behind a young boy (he was a year old at the time) who will never know his mother and will one day need answers to questions he should never have to ask.”

Pernosky’s family lamented the fact that she had her whole life ahead of her and will never have the opportunity to live out her dreams.

“She didn’t deserve this.”

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A Surrey man with no links to an ongoing gang conflict has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting Saturday.

Staff Sgt. Jennifer Pound of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said Monday that Jatinder “Michael” Sandhu, 28, may not have been the intended target of the killer or killers who sprayed the vehicle he was in with gunfire about 10:20 p.m. on July 23.

She said the shooting in the 14300-block 90A Avenue is believed to be part of an ongoing gang conflict involving street-level players in the drug trade.

“IHIT and Surrey RCMP continue to work collectively on this investigation. Investigators believe this shooting to be targeted and as a result of the current conflict between individuals and groups within Surrey,” Pound said.

“Police believe that this shooting is linked to the conflict within Surrey. However evidence and information obtained thus far suggests the victims may have not been the intended targets.”

She said neither Sandhu nor the driver had criminal records and Sandhu was not “believed to be involved in the current conflict.”

The driver remains in hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

“A suspect was witnessed fleeing the scene in a grey or silver Infiniti SUV (unknown year) and IHIT is asking for the public’s assistance to locate this vehicle,” Pound said in a news release.

“Police would like to remind individuals that just because you’re not directly involved in criminal activity or violence as a result of conflict, does not mean that you’re immune to the associated risks. If you have friends or family members involved in this lifestyle, you could very well become inadvertent collateral damage to these violent disputes.”

Pound said it’s important that people know if their friends and relatives are involved in the drug trade or gangs.

“At the very least know who you’re hanging out with because it could be you,” she said.

From 2008 through 2012, police issued several extraordinary public warnings to tell people they could be at risk if they associated with several specific gang members involved in a violent conflict.

Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT tipline at 1-877-551-4448, or call Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous.

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A 25-year-old inmate at Surrey Pretrial jail died early Thursday after an altercation with his roommate the night before.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is now in charge of the case.

IHIT media officer, Cpl. Meghan Foster, said she won’t release the name of the victim even though his family has been notified about the tragedy.

“At this time, releasing the name of the victim does not further our investigation. Should the circumstances of the investigation change and require the release of the victim’s name, it will be done so at that time,” Foster said.

Surrey RCMP was called just after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday about “an altercation between two cell mates at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre,” she said.

Foster said correctional officers intervened and separated the victim from his 22-year-old cellmate.

“The victim was transported to hospital as he sustained extensive injuries during the altercation. Despite all medical efforts, the 25-year-old male victim succumbed to his injuries just before 1:30 a.m.,”  she said. “IHIT has consulted with Crown Counsel regarding charges, but homicide-related charges have not yet been approved.”

There have been rising violence levels in provincial jails over the last few years. B.C. government statistics provided to The Vancouver Sun last fall showed 893 incidents of prisoner violence in 2014 and already 953 by the end of September 2015. More than 90 per cent of the attacks were by inmates on other inmates, with the remaining attacks by inmates against staff.

The B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, which represents guards in the province’s jails, has repeatedly blamed the increasing violence on a combination of overcrowding and more gang inmates being locked up awaiting trial.

Last April, Neil Leslie died in hospital after he was beaten in a living unit at North Fraser Pretrial Centre. In February, Adam Palsson, 27, was beaten to death at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre where he was serving a 13-month sentence for stealing a car and driving dangerously.

There have also been suicides and fatal overdoses among B.C. Corrections inmates this year, including the death last month of David Singh Tucker, the suspect in several University of B.C. sex assaults. He also died in Surrey pretrial.

Foster said both the victim in the latest case and his roommate were awaiting “court appearances on separate matters. Neither of the males knew each other prior to their incarceration.”

Homicide investigators are working with the Surrey RCMP, the forensic identification team, pretrial staff and the B.C. Coroners Service “to help piece together the factors that led up to the altercation, and subsequent death of the male victim,” Foster said.

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A Chilliwack man has been charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his associate earlier this year.

Daniel Joseph Fabas, 34, was already facing firearms charges after Dave Williams was found dead in a residence on Princess Avenue on April 18.

But Fabas was also identified by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team as a suspect in the murder, Cpl. Meghan Foster said Thursday.

“In the four months that followed, investigators pursued leads and followed up on the tips and information received from the public to further the investigation. On Aug. 16, 2016 Crown Counsel approved a second-degree murder charge against Mr. Fabas,” Foster said.

She said tips from the public helped the investigation move forward. And she credited other agencies for their assistance in the murder case.

“This investigation highlights the importance of evidence retrieval and the commitment from IHIT to stay on course even long after a suspect has been arrested,” she said.

Fabas has a criminal history in the Fraser Valley.

He was convicted of two breaches of court-ordered conditions in May 2009 and got 10 days in jail. In June that year, he was convicted of possession of stolen property and resisting a police officer. He got a month-long sentence. Then in September, 2009, he was convicted of escape from lawful custody and break and enter and got another 10-day sentence.

He will appear in court on Sept. 6 on both the murder charge and the firearms counts.

Williams, 33, was also known to police.

He had convictions for assault and breaching court-ordered conditions.

At the time of his murder, he was facing charges of uttering threats, using a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm related, possession of stolen property and break and enter. A warrant was issued for his arrest just four days before his murder.

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The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announce Thursday that a murder charged had been laid in a fatal shooting from last April.

The accused Daniel Fabas has a criminal history and knew the victim Dave Williams.

Here’s my story:
Murder charge laid in fatal Fraser Valley shooting earlier this year
A Chilliwack man has been charged with second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his associate earlier this year.

Daniel Joseph Fabas, 34, was already facing firearms charges after Dave Williams was found dead in a residence on Princess Avenue on April 18.

But Fabas was also identified by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team as a suspect in the murder, Cpl. Meghan Foster said Thursday.

“In the four months that followed, investigators pursued leads and followed up on the tips and information received from the public to further the investigation. On Aug. 16, 2016 Crown Counsel approved a second-degree murder charge against Mr. Fabas,” Foster said.

She said tips from the public helped the investigation move forward. And she credited other agencies for their assistance in the murder case.

“This investigation highlights the importance of evidence retrieval and the commitment from IHIT to stay on course even long after a suspect has been arrested,” she said.

Fabas has a criminal history in the Fraser Valley.

He was convicted of two breaches of court-ordered conditions in May 2009 and got 10 days in jail. In June that year, he was convicted of possession of stolen property and resisting a police officer. He got a month-long sentence. Then in September, 2009, he was convicted of escape from lawful custody and break and enter and got another 10-day sentence.

He will appear in court on Sept. 6 on both the murder charge and the firearms counts.

Williams, 33, was also known to police.

He had convictions for assault and breaching court-ordered conditions.

At the time of his murder, he was facing charges of uttering threats, using a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm related, possession of stolen property and break and enter. A warrant was issued for his arrest just four days before his murder.

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twitter.com/kbolan

Homicide investigators want the public’s help in determining what a Chilliwack murder victim was doing before her fatal Sept. 2 shooting.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team confirmed that the 52-year-old woman who died as Diane Kathleen Johner.

Cpl. Meghan Foster said investigators want to track her movements in the hours and days before her death.

Joyner was in the 48000-block Chilliwack Central Road with a 23-year-old male when the shots rang out.

He was taken to hospital in critical condition and she died at the scene.

Diane Kathleen Johner

“While investigators believe Miss Johner was an acquaintance of the surviving victim, the relationship, or motive for her shooting, is not clear,” Foster said.

The other victim, a former MMA fighter from Abbotsford, has gang links though no criminal convictions.

“Investigators believe that Miss Johner frequented the Chilliwack area in the days leading up to her death,” Foster said, describing Johner as white, 5 foot 7 and 120 pounds. 

“She had long, curly blond hair and hazel eyes and on the day she was shot, was wearing blue jeans, white shoes and a dark coloured zip up sweater.” 

“IHIT is asking anyone who saw Miss Johner in the area preceding her death, or on the day of the shooting, to contact the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448.”

More to come …

Homicide investigators told us Sept. 2 about a double shooting in Chilliwack that left a 52-year-old woman dead and a young man fighting for his life.

Now we have the identity of the woman and police want to know where she was in the hours and days before the shooting.

I have talked to at people who know the young man, who has gang links and is from Abbotsford. He is still in critical condition. I will write more about him later.

Abbotsford Police are also reporting today that they’re investigating another suspicious death in the Valley.

Const. Ian MacDonald said in a news release this evening that Abby PD got called about 10:40 a.m. about  a dead male in an outbuilding of a rural property in the 35000-block of Fore Road.

“APD Patrol Division officers and Major Crime Unit detectives arrived on scene.  The initial indications suggested the death to be suspicious in nature and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) was contacted,” MacDonald said,

“APD investigators will be working with the coroner and will continue to consult with IHIT until a cause of death is determined. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225, text us at 222973 (abbypd) or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.”

Here’s my story:

Police looking for information on Chilliwack murder victim

Homicide investigators want the public’s help in determining what a Chilliwack murder victim was doing before her fatal Sept. 2 shooting.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team confirmed that the 52-year-old woman who died as Diane Kathleen Johner.

Cpl. Meghan Foster said investigators want to track her movements in the hours and days before her death.

Joyner was in the 48000-block Chilliwack Central Road with a 23-year-old male when the shots rang out.

He was taken to hospital in critical condition and she died at the scene.

“While investigators believe Miss Johner was an acquaintance of the surviving victim, the relationship, or motive for her shooting, is not clear,” Foster said.

The other victim, a former MMA fighter from Abbotsford, has gang links though no criminal convictions.

“Investigators believe that Miss Johner frequented the Chilliwack area in the days leading up to her death,” Foster said, describing Johner as white, 5 foot 7 and 120 pounds. 

“She had long, curly blond hair and hazel eyes and on the day she was shot, was wearing blue jeans, white shoes and a dark coloured zip up sweater.” 

“IHIT is asking anyone who saw Miss Johner in the area preceding her death, or on the day of the shooting, to contact the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448.”

Homicide investigators are looking into the death of an inmate at Fraser Regional Correctional Centre on Saturday.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said Mounties were called to the Maple Ridge institution about 4:30 p.m. Saturday after staff reported an altercation that resulted in one man’s death.

The victim, 27-year-old Adam Palsson, was taken to Ridge Meadows Hospital where he was pronounced dead about 6 p.m.

“IHIT investigators are working in partnership with Corrections personnel at FRCC to determine the circumstances leading up to this man’s death,” Sgt. Stephanie Ashton said.

“Investigators believe there may be witnesses with information about what led up to this in custody death and ask anyone who has not already spoken to police to come forward.”

Anyone with information can call IHIT  at 1-877-551-4448 or email  ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Palsson had a 10-year history of police interactions, according to court services online, for relatively minor crimes like theft, breaches of probation conditions and possession of stolen property.

He was sentenced last July to 13 months for driving while disqualified and theft of a motor vehicle. He was also convicted of breaching an earlier probation order.

Maple Batalia’s sister Rose told reporters Monday that the young woman can now rest in peace after her former boyfriend was sentenced to life in prison for gunning her down in 2011.

Rose Batalia choked back tears on the steps of the New Westminster Supreme Courthouse as she spoke.

A short time earlier, Gurjinder (Gary) Dhaliwal was told he must serve a minimum of 21 years before being eligible for parole.

Maple Batalia, 19, was shot to death on Sept. 28, 2011 in the parking lot of Simon Fraser’s Surrey campus. The Health Sciences student, actor and model, had been studying with friends and was headed home about 1 a.m. Maple was rushed to hospital where she later died.

Dhaliwal, now 24, and his friend Gursimar Bedi were arrested and charged a year later.

Dhaliwal pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last week. Bedi’s trial on charges of manslaughter and accessory after the fact is set to begin Tuesday.

Sgt. Stephanie Ashton, of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, said Monday that “IHIT investigators, in conjunction with Crown Counsel, worked tirelessly to secure all of the evidence relevant to this tragic case.  A guilty plea, in any homicide investigation, speaks to the efforts and dedication by all agencies involved.

I was not covering this case today, but PostMedia reporter Jennifer Saltman was in court.

Here’s her story:

Colby Palsson is looking for answers after his son Adam was killed last month while in the custody of B.C. Corrections.

Adam, 27, was serving a 13-month sentence at the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre for stealing a car and driving dangerously.

He was in protective custody, meaning he should have been secure, the elder Palsson said in an interview Tuesday.

But Adam died after an altercation on the afternoon of Feb. 27.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is looking into the slaying.

“IHIT didn’t really say any names to me. They just told me that at this point there are no charges being laid,” Palsson said.

He said he’s learned the attack on his son happened during lock-down for a shift change of the guards at the Maple Ridge institution.

“I believe they should be watched a little better when guards go on breaks or when they are on lock-down. You are supposed to be in your rooms and you’re supposed to be safe in your rooms. But how safe are you when there is nobody around to make sure you’re safe?”

IHIT Sgt. Stephanie Ashton said Tuesday that there’s no update in the investigation.

Earlier she said “IHIT investigators are working in partnership with corrections personnel at FRCC to determine the circumstances leading up to this man’s death.”

“Investigators believe there may be witnesses with information about what led up to this in custody death and ask anyone who has not already spoken to police to come forward,” she said.

B.C. Corrections official Cindy Rose offered condolences to Adam’s family in an emailed statement to The Vancouver Sun.

“Any death in custody is a tragedy and I can assure you that each and every one is taken extremely seriously,” Rose said.

“While we certainly appreciate that the individual’s family is seeking answers at this difficult time, we can only offer very limited details given the investigations that are currently underway.”

She said the government agency takes “every precaution to ensure inmates’ safety.”

Adam Palsson, 27, died after altercation at Fraser Regional Correctional Centre

“We will be looking at the circumstances of this incident to determine if there are ways to prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future.”

Palsson learned of Adam’s death from a friend on Facebook. At first he thought it was a practical joke.

“He died from a smash to the head. So I don’t know if he fell down and hit his head on something or his head was smashed into something or if it was a hit,” Palsson said. “It is still kind of surreal. I hadn’t talked to Adam in a couple of months. I still get this feeling I am going to see him in a month or so, because he was supposed to be out soon.”

His son was a prolific car thief who struggled with a drug problem, he said.

“He had promise. He just kind of lost his way a bit with the party life I guess and doing things like stealing cars. Just minor breaches and missing his appointments,” said the grieving dad.

He said he’d like to see changes to jail regulations or even laws, if necessary, to ensure inmates at provincial jails are kept safe.

“If I can step in and make some changes I will – positive changes for the future,” Palsson said. “I don’t want this to ever happen to anybody else just because they aren’t looking after them properly in jail.”

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced Friday that a Burnaby man named Ryan Jack Armstrong has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the human remains found near Stave Lake this week.

IHIT Sgt. Stephanie Ashton said Armstrong appeared in court yesterday and has been remanded until April 21.

Court Services Online shows an appearance for the 29-year-old man in Abbotsford Provincial Court.

The online database indicates the murder occurred on March 29 – the same day as the remains of a female were found on a road leading to Stave Lake.

Armstrong is also charged with committing an in indignity to a human body.

Ashton said “the victim has been tentatively identified.”

“However confirmation is being sought through an autopsy.  Our early investigative theory supports this as a targeted homicide and it is believed that the victim and suspect were known to each other,” Ashton said.

“An important piece to this investigation was the support of the public who came forward with information that has aided in the rapid progression from initial investigation to charge approval.”

SURREY, B.C. — The Crown has stayed criminal charges against a man who was arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of Troy Clysdale in Whalley on Sept. 14.

Clysdale, 49, was rushed to Royal Columbian Hospital in critical condition after he was stabbed near 135A Street and 108th Avenue, at about 2 p.m. Surrey RCMP Corporal Scotty Schumann said police arrested a man fleeing from the scene. He was caught roughly a block away.

A 20-year-old man was charged with aggravated assault.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team took over the case from the Surrey RCMP after Clysdale died the following day, and IHIT Cpl. Meghan Foster said at the time police were consulting with the Crown to determine if the suspect would face homicide-related charges.

But now, he’s not facing any criminal charges at all related to the stabbing death.

Dan McLaughlin, spokesman for the Criminal Justice Branch, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, said the Crown’s job in the charge-approval process is to determine if there is a “substantial likelihood” of conviction and “whether a prosecution is required in the public interest.

Despite evidence supplied by RCMP and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, which took over the case after one of the victims died, no charges were approved by Crown counsel.

“A substantial likelihood of conviction exists where Crown counsel is satisfied there is a strong, solid case of substance to present to the court,” McLaughlin said.

He added that the Crown must also consider “any viable defences that arise on the evidence. This includes ensuring that an accused was afforded the complete protections guaranteed by the Charter.

“Each case must be assessed in light of the available evidence as gathered by police, and if Crown counsel concludes that the evidence is not sufficient to meet the branch’s standard for approving a charge, a prosecution cannot proceed.”

Related

• Tom Zytaruk: It's time to strip Whalley of its most notorious street

“In this case,” McLaughlin said, “after a thorough review of the available evidence by senior Crown counsel, it has been decided that the branch charge-assessment standard has not been met. As such, no charges were approved and the police-laid information has been stayed.”

McLaughlin did not reveal specific details that led to the decision, however.

“I have no further information to provide on this matter,” he said.

As for the police, Foster said of the Crown’s decision to stay criminal charges, “I cannot speak to their reasoning for this.”

McLaughlin said that “if, after further investigation, the police choose to resubmit the file, the branch will reassess the decision.

“That is true of any case we decline to approve,” he said. “Our decision is based on the evidence as it was submitted by the police. On the available evidence, the branch concluded that the charge-assessment standard had not been met.”

Read more Fraser Valley news at thenownewspaper.com

Police are investigating a homicide in the Township of Langley on Sunday.

RCMP were called to a property in the 23700-block 72nd Avenue around 10:30 a.m. where they found an injured man. He died of his injuries despite the best efforts of emergency responders. 

The man’s injuries appear consistent with foul play, said the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, which has taken over the case. The homicide appears to be a targeted incident.

SECOND SHOOTING NEAR ZOO

Langley RCMP responded to a shooting at 7 p.m. near the Greater Vancouver Zoo.

Police say a man was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg.

RCMP say it’s too early to say whether the two shootings are connected.

Foul play is suspected in the disappearance of a 27-year-old Gibsons man.

Dane Stanway was reported missing on May 12 to Sunshine Coast RCMP, after he had not been seen or heard from since the beginning of the month.

“To date, the investigation into Mr. Stanway’s disappearance has revealed that it is likely Mr. Stanway met with foul play, and may be deceased,” said Cpl. Meghan Foster in a media release issued Saturday.

“As such, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken conduct of the investigation.”

Foster said the RCMP have since been assisting IHIT with collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses who may have information in Stanway’s disappearance. Investigators believe that Stanway was still on the Sunshine Coast in the first week of May 2016, before his disappearance.

It is unknown what Stanway was wearing at the time of his disappearance, but police have released an image in the hope that anyone who recognizes or has seen Stanway recently will come forward to share information.

“Mr. Stanway was leading a lifestyle associated to criminal activity and was known to police; however, the reasons surrounding his disappearance remain unclear, and anyone who may have information is asked to contact IHIT,” said Foster.

Those with information are asked to contact the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448, or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Jordan Braun, a 19-year-old Burnaby man, has been charged with second degree murder in the April 2015 death of Elmer Libertino, police said on Monday.

Braun had previously been charged four times with break and enter, Cpl. Meghan Foster of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said.

“There’s nothing to suggest that Mr. Libertino and Mr. Braun were known to each other,” she said.

Libertino, a 34-year-old father of three, was discovered by a police officer on routine patrol around 3 a.m. on April 16, 2015. Libertino was lying in a pool of blood in the middle of Moscrop Street at Smith Avenue in Burnaby.

He had travelled from Surrey by public transit to the area of Kingsway and Boundary some time between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., police said.

Libertino had no criminal record and no previous contact with the police.

His family issued a statement on Monday thanking relatives, friends and IHIT for support.

“We are thankful for sharing the precious life of a dearest son, an amazing brother, a trusted friend, a great and loving father and husband,” the statement read.

“He came to Canada with a great dream for himself, for his loving wife and for his three smart and beautiful kids, but he was taken away so soon.

“He is dearly missed every day.”

Braun is in custody and is scheduled to next appear in court on Nov. 30.

gordmcintyre@postmedia.com

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Because I’ve been spending a lot of time in court, I haven’t updated you on other important crime stories in the last few days.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is looking for help to identify a man whose body was found  burned just before 10:00 am Monday in an outdoor shelter beside Lynn Creek near Keith Road.  

IHIT Cpl. Meghan Foster said investigators need the public’s help to identify whether the man was killed where he was found or dumped there.

“The victim has yet to be identified, and there remains many unanswered questions.  Once the identity is known, our priority will be to notify and support the family, and attempt to piece together the events leading up to this tragic death,” Foster said. 

She said the shelter is located in a densely-wooded area along the Bridgman North Trail.

“IHIT is asking anyone who was in the area of the shelter last weekend to contact police,” she said.

Investigators can be reached at the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448 or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

There was also a shooting in Surrey Tuesday evening in Surrey which left a man in hospital with injuries.

The shooting happened about 8 p.m. in the 12100-block of 68th Avenue, Surrey Mounties said in a news release.

The release said “the investigation is still in its early stages, but indications are that this is a targeted incident.”

Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502.

Murders across the region were up marginally in 2016 and included shocking cases such as the tragic stabbing of an Abbotsford schoolgirl and the execution and dismemberment of a gang associate.

Overall there were 67 slayings or suspicious deaths this year in the area stretching from Whistler to Chilliwack — compared to 60 in 2015 — according to data compiled by Postmedia News.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team — B.C.’s largest murder squad — conducted 52 investigations involving the suspected slayings of 54 people in 2016, Cpl. Meghan Foster said. In 2015, IHIT opened 39 files involving 43 victims.

IHIT investigates murders for all Lower Mainland RCMP detachments as well as municipal forces like West Vancouver, Port Moody, New Westminster and Abbotsford.

Both Vancouver and Delta Police forces investigate their own homicides.

In Vancouver, there were just 11 murders in 2016, down from 15 the year before, Const. Brian Montague said.

And in Delta, investigators are still probing two suspicious deaths from 2016 — neither of which has been confirmed as a murder, Sgt. Sharlene Brooks said this week.

In the most recent case on Dec. 11, a 53-year-old Delta man died after a fight outside the Rose and Crown Pub in Tsawwassen. His name has not been released.

Brooks said the death “remains classified as a suspicious death until autopsy — toxicology and pathology — information comes back.”

And the second Delta file involves the death of Surrey resident Robinder Virk, whose remains were found on March 3 inside a known drug house in the 2000-block of Tsawwassen Drive.

The 32-year-old had been reported missing on Jan. 11, after last being seen Jan. 3.

While Delta Police initially called his death “suspicious,” the force later issued a news release saying it had been determined to be a murder.

However, Brooks said there is still no definitive cause of death for Virk and that the death continues to be classified as suspicious.

IHIT faced some of the most challenging cases — including sets of found remains where the identity of the victim has not yet been confirmed.

Probably the most shocking case was the random attack on 13-year-old Letisha Reimer in a hallway at Abbotsford Secondary on Nov. 1 when she was fatally stabbed and a classmate was wounded. The attack was captured on video. Police arrested drifter Gabriel Klein, 21, who is now charged with second-degree murder.

And there were gangland shootings as well, including the October slaying of high-profile Hells Angel Bob Green in Abbotsford. His alleged killer, 856 gang member Jason Wallace, turned himself in to police the next day.

The Green murder was followed by the brutal death of 856 gang associate Shaun Alan Clary, who was found in pieces on a rural Langley road. No one has yet been charged.

Foster said that “homicide investigations are complex and lengthy in nature, and every investigation endures its own unique hurdles. The support IHIT employees, investigators and support staff receive from our victim’s families and partner agencies play a key role in every positive outcome.”

In about one-third of IHIT’s files, the names of victims were not released in 2016, even when investigators were appealing to the public for more information and no one had been charged. Yet in 2015, IHIT publicly identified all but three confirmed murder victims in the region.

When asked earlier this year about the shift to anonymity, Staff Sgt. Julie Gagnon, who works at RCMP national headquarters, said names of victims would only be released when “necessary to further an investigation.”

Vancouver Police are still withholding the name of their most recent victim for investigative reasons, Montague said.

The VPD has also dealt with shocking murders in 2016. While responding to a call about an abduction on Sept. 17, officers found Xuan Vanvy Bacao and Samantha Le murdered inside their Dieppe Place house. They also found their four-year-old child hiding.

Within days, police had rescued the victim kidnapped from the house and arrested Shamil Amir Ali, 22, Harinam Ananda Cox, 21, and Gopal Figueredo, 24. All were charged with kidnapping, extortion and aggravated assault, but not murder.

Then in November, the VPD said warrants had been issued for three more suspects — Ellwood Thomas Bradbury, Matthew Scott Stewart and Erlan Lizandro Acosta on charges of kidnapping and aggravated assault.

Montague said this week that all three suspects remain at large. So far, no charges have been laid in the double-murder, he added.

kbolan@postmedia.com

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Blog: vancouversun.com/tag/real-scoop

Murders/suspicious deaths in the region in 2016 by investigating agency:

Integrated Homicide Investigation Team

Dec. 4 | Lucito Santos Castillo

Castillo, 42, was found just before 10:30 a.m. in an apartment complex suite located in the 20100-block of 56th Avenue in Langley. Castillo was also known as Cheeko or RJ.

Nov. 28 | Unidentified person

The burned body was found in a shelter along Lynn Creek near Keith Road. When police arrived, it was quickly determined the individual was a homicide victim. Police were trying to identify the body.

Nov. 25 | Greg Lupel

Police and ambulance attendants were called about an unresponsive male near the Safeway located at 88th Avenue and 152nd Street in Surrey. The man, later identified as Greg Lupel, 27, died at the scene. IHIT took over the file as the death was labelled suspicious.

Nov. 8 | Unidentified man

The man was killed in a late-night altercation in New Westminster. Police were called to a home at 3:40 a.m. to assist the B.C. Ambulance Service with a male victim who sustained injuries during an altercation. He later died from injuries. A suspect was arrested at the scene. Police say the homicide does not appear to be random.

Nov. 1 | Bradley Allan Nielsen

The 53-year-old man was found dead in a Maple Ridge scrapyard. Police believe it was a targeted attack, although the motive remains unclear. He was last seen alive on Oct. 31.

Nov. 1 | Letisha Reimer

The 13-year-old girl was fatally stabbed in the foyer of Abbotsford Secondary School. A 14-year-old girl was also injured. Police and school district officials have said a homeless man walked into the school and attacked the girls before staff confronted and restrained him. The attack appeared to be random, police said. Gabriel Klein, 21, faces one charge each of second-degree murder and aggravated assault.

Oct. 28 | Ashim Raza and Vikram Toor 

Raza, 19, and Toor, 24, were found in the Fraser Heights area of Surrey suffering from gunshot wounds. One of them was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was taken to hospital, where he later died. Police believe the shooting was independent from the gangland violence that had rocked the Lower Mainland in previous weeks.

Oct. 24 | Rickey Gordon Melanson

Burnaby RCMP responded to a report of a double stabbing at a homeless camp in the area of Rumble Street and Griffith Drive. Melanson, 48, was pronounced deceased at the scene. A second man survived. Samuel James Calladine has been charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault. Calladine and Melanson had known each other for years, and had set up their tents in the ravine, police said.

Oct. 23 | Shaun Alan Clary

The mutilated body of the 27-year-old gang associate was dumped on a rural Langley road. Postmedia News confirmed with sources that he is affiliated with the Langley-based 856 gang. Police were looking at whether Clary’s death and other violent attacks across Metro Vancouver were in retaliation for the earlier slaying in Langley of Hells Angel Bob Green.

Oct. 22 | Unidentified person

Abbotsford Police were called to a wooded area in the 30900-block of Downes Road after human remains were found. IHIT was called in.

Oct. 16 | Bob Green

Hells Angel Bob Green was shot dead during an all-night party at the clubhouse of the 856 gang in Langley. Jason Wallace of the 856 gang turned himself into police the next day and has been charged with second-degree murder.

Oct. 9 | Kevin William Knuff

Knuff, 56, was found dead in a ravine near a Burnaby homeless camp on the west side of North Road, south of Highway 1.

Oct. 5 | Hee Sook Youn

Youn, 59, was found dead in her place of business on North Road in Burnaby. Police are trying to locate her former husband, 59-year-old Youngku Youn, who is a suspect in his wife’s murder.

Sept. 24 | Jonathan Patch

The 32-year-old with a criminal record was shot to death just after 2 a.m. near 243 Street and 102 Avenue in Maple Ridge. Dean Sahanovitch, 55, was later charged with murder.

Sept. 23 | Jason Leigh Zellmer 

Just after 6:30 a.m., Coquitlam RCMP responded to a report of an abandoned vehicle in the 4900-block of Quarry Road. Near the vehicle, they found the body of Zellmer, a Surrey resident known to police. IHIT was called in.

Sept. 14 | Troy Clysdale

The 49-year-old was one of two men who suffered stab wounds in an incident in Whalley. The second victim’s wounds were non-life threatening. A male suspect, identified as 20-year-old Boni-Muhammed Mutawakel, was arrested.

Sept. 2 | Diane Kathleen Johner

Johner, 52, was in the 48000-block of Chilliwack Central Road with a 23-year-old man when the shots rang out. The man was taken to hospital in critical condition and Johner died at the scene. The man, a former MMA fighter from Abbotsford, had gang links but no criminal convictions.

Aug. 17 | Gurdev (Dave) Hair

Police were called to Abbotsford’s Crown Court, near Clearbrook Road, just after 9 p.m. They found Hair, 45, lying in a yard. He died in hospital. Hair was known to police. No arrests have been made.

Aug. 7 | Robert Harold Vidovich

The 55-year-old Coquitlam man died after a brawl outside a Port Coquitlam pub. Mounties were called to the 2000-block of Lougheed Highway just after 3:15 p.m. after reports of an altercation. Officers found Vidovich suffering from life-threatening injuries. He later died in hospital. Investigators said he was stabbed. James Meanny, 34, was later taken into custody.

Aug. 3 | John Michael Murphy

Surrey RCMP responded to a report of an altercation between two cellmates at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre about 7:30 p.m. Murphy, 25, died as a result of the injuries he sustained. Jordan Cole Burt, 22, was charged with second-degree murder.

July 31 | Sean Christopher Kelly

The 27-year-old man died after a shooting in Surrey. Surrey Mounties, responding to a call about an injured man, found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds in the 13900-block of Antrim Road just after 8 p.m. He was later pronounced dead. He had a lengthy criminal record, including firearm charges, drug possession for the purpose of trafficking and breaches of a court undertaking. The charges stemmed from incidents in Surrey and Delta.

July 23 | Jatinder (Michael) Sandhu

The 28-year-old Surrey man with no links to an ongoing gang conflict may not have been the intended target of the killer or killers who sprayed the vehicle he was in with gunfire around 10:20 p.m. Police said the shooting in the 14300 block of 90A Avenue is believed to be part of an ongoing gang conflict involving street-level players in the drug trade.

July 15 | Unidentified female 

Coquitlam RCMP responded to a 911 call in the 1100-block of Eagleridge Drive and found an unresponsive 22-year-old female inside the home. She was later pronounced dead from injuries she sustained. The suspect was later found floating dead in Buntzen Lake after an apparent murder-suicide. IHIT did not release their names.

July 13 | John Robert Oliver Anderson  

RCMP officers were called to a known drug house in the 8900-block of Glenwood Street in Chilliwack just after 11:30 a.m. They found Anderson, 40, in medical distress from injuries sustained in an attack. He died the same day. Two suspects, David (Yoda) McKay and Cydnie Markel-Rempel, fled the house and were later arrested. McKay was charged with murder and Markel-Rempel manslaughter.

July 10 | Unidentified female

Port Moody Police were called to a domestic dispute in the 3300-block of Dewdney Trunk Road about 1:30 p.m. They found the house engulfed in flames with two adults inside. The victim was found inside suffering extensive burns. She died later that day. Her husband has been charged with murder and arson. A ban has been put on his name.

July 2 | Brendan Aditya Chand

Chand, 27, was found lying near Bog Park in the 9700-block of 130th Street in Surrey just before 2 p.m. on July 3. Police believe he was shot the night before between 10:30 p.m. and midnight. Chand had a lengthy criminal record and was convicted of a 2011 shooting in Burnaby.

June 13 | Christopher Alexander Hurtado

The 29-year-old man died in a targeted shooting around 10 p.m. in Burnaby. He also used the surname of Serrano. A dark-coloured sedan was seen leaving the area. Hurtado was convicted of slitting a stranger’s throat in Vancouver during the Olympics. He was a gang associate and involved in the drug trade.

June 5 | Amar Singh Sandhu

The Richmond developer, 56, was sprayed by gunfire as he stood beside his black pickup truck in the parking lot of the Ironwood Plaza. Police are looking for a male suspect in his early- to mid-20s, about six feet tall, with a slim build. He was wearing a grey hoodie or coat, with medium to dark pants and possibly a baseball cap.

May 31 | Unidentified man

A 58-year-old man died after a fight with another man in Coquitlam at Brunette Avenue near Hillside Avenue just before 5:30 p.m. Police said the altercation was diffused quickly, but the man died at the scene. His name has not been released. The second man, 31, was taken into custody but police said charges couldn’t be supported at the time.

May 12 | Dane Stanway

Stanway, a 27-year-old Gibsons resident, was reported missing to police May 12, after he had not been seen for a week. Investigators determined it is likely he met with foul play because of his criminal lifestyle, so IHIT took over the case.

May 11 | Unidentified man

The body of a man shot several times was found by farm workers in a rural blueberry field near Boundary and No. 3 Roads. IHIT has not released the victim’s name.

May 3 | Unidentified man

The 49-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the Salish Plaza in downtown Chilliwack. Gerald Leslie Dolman, 63, has been charged with second-degree murder. Police believe the incident started after Dolman’s vehicle followed the victim’s car on Yale Road and that Dolman struck a cyclist while following the victim. The two cars collided in a parking lot at which point an altercation led to the death of the victim, whose name has not been released. It is believed the two men knew each other.

May 2 | Unidentified man

A 32-year-old man sustained a fractured skull in an altercation with a relative in Surrey. He was later released from hospital but returned on May 12 with bleeding in the brain and subsequently died. Mandeep Bhatti, 29, was initially charged with aggravated assault, but the charge was upgraded to manslaughter. IHIT has not released the victim’s name.

May 1 | Unidentified man

IHIT took over the investigation into the suspicious death of a 54-year-old man after an altercation outside a grocery store in Sevenoaks Shopping Centre on Sunday night in Abbotsford just before 8:30 p.m.

April 18 | David Williams

The 33-year-old Chilliwack man was killed in what police say appears to be a targeted shooting. Police say the attack was likely linked to a disagreement. He suffered several gunshot wounds and died at the scene. Daniel Joseph Fabas, 34, was identified as a suspect and as an associate of Williams. In August Fabas was charged with second-degree murder.

April 17 | Neil Leslie

Leslie died in hospital a few days after he was beaten in a living unit at North Fraser Pretrial Centre. Another prisoner, Zachariah Pakarinen, 27, has been charged with manslaughter in the attack.

April 4 | Ray Jopowicz

Jopowicz, 41, was found dead on the Byrne Creek Trail in Burnaby after police received reports the night before of shots fired in the 7300-block Sandborne Avenue. He had been convicted in the United States of cocaine distribution and had links to organized crime. No charges have been laid.

March 29 | Vikki Heppner

The 28-year-old woman’s body was found near Stave Lake in Mission. Ryan Jack Armstrong, a 29-year-old Burnaby man, has been charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a body. Police said it appears the two knew each other and that Heppner was targeted. Heppner had been accused of defrauding a GoFundMe campaign set up for a widow and her two kids.

March 21 | Unidentified woman

A 53-year-old woman contacted Mission RCMP on March 11 to report that she had been assaulted by a male two days earlier while walking through Fenn Park. Ten days later, RCMP responded to a residence in the 33000-block of 3rd Avenue for a suspicious death investigation. The woman who had complained about the Fenn Park assault was found dead. An autopsy found that the cause of death was consistent with injuries the victim sustained in the earlier assault in the park.

March 20 | Unidentified woman

A 61-year-old Surrey woman was killed in a domestic altercation in a home. Surrey Mounties arrested Sukhvir Badhesa, 39, who faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault and uttering threats. A 35-year-old woman was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

March 11 | Unidentified male

A Surrey man was found dead from gunshot wounds after his car crashed on 79th Avenue and 123 Street in Surrey. IHIT has not released the victim’s name.

March 10 | Two unidentified males

Two young men involved in the Townline Hill conflict, aged 21 and 22, died after being shot in the 33000-block of Hawthorne Avenue in Abbotsford. IHIT asked the public for help identifying a dark-coloured sedan that was driving erratically on Hawthorne Avenue at 9:20 p.m. IHIT has not released the names of either victim.

Feb. 27 | Adam Palsson

Ridge Meadows RCMP was called to the provincial jail just before 4:30 p.m. after Corrections staff reported that an altercation had resulted in one man’s death. Palsson, 27, was taken to Ridge Meadows Hospital where he was pronounced dead. No charges have been laid.

Feb. 24 | Unidentified woman

Chilliwack RCMP was called to a home in the 42000-block of Yarrow Road, where the body of a 51-year-old woman was found. Clayton Jacob Warkentin, 19, has been charged with murder. Although investigators aren’t revealing how Warkentin and the victim knew each other, they say that events leading up to the homicide suggest it was a result of domestic violence.

Feb. 7 | David Delaney

Delaney, a chef in Coquitlam who lived in Abbotsford, was found dead in his apartment on Center Street on Feb. 23. Arrested months later and charged with his murder is Shayne Daniel Duncan McGenn, 33. Sarah Margaret Sather, 33, was charged with accessory after the fact.

Jan. 26 | Unidentified woman

The 58-year-old victim was found in a home suffering from extensive injuries. A teenager has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death. North Vancouver RCMP was called to a home in the 300-block of East 1st street after a 911 caller reported hearing a dispute and possible assault. Police forced their way into the apartment after hearing sounds of a struggle. Officers then saw a man jump over the balcony. He was later arrested by North Vancouver RCMP.

Jan. 22 | Kevin Brunelle

The 36-year-old man was found dead in a Langley City hotel where he lived and worked. He was suffering from injuries, which he may have sustained during an assault the day before. After the assault, he was helped back to his room, and was not checked on until the following afternoon when he was found dead.

Jan. 22 | Yonatan (JK) Kassa

A shooting in Port Coquitlam left the 30-year-old dead. Coquitlam RCMP responded to reports of gunshots in the 2100-block of Rindall Avenue shortly after 9 p.m. Police found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds. He died at the scene. Police say it is believed the shooting was related to criminal activity. Kassa had gang links and convictions for drug trafficking and a violent home invasion.

* This list has 50 of the 54 deaths. IHIT has not released details of the other four cases.

Vancouver Police:

Dec. 6 | Unidentified person

Vancouver Police were called to a home near West 13^th Avenue and MacDonald Street shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 where a body was discovered. Police have not released the name or gender of the victim but have said there is no concern to public safety.

Nov. 1 | Jia Hong Chen

Shortly after 2 a.m. on Nov. 1, two groups of men got into an altercation near the taxi stand at the Plaza of Nations at 750 Pacific Blvd. When officers arrived, they found two men with serious stab wounds. One of those men, 25-year-old Jia Hong Chen from Burnaby, died from his injuries. A 23-year-old man was wounded. A third man showed up at Burnaby General Hospital a few hours later with stab wounds.

Sept. 30 | Natsumi Kogawa

The body of the Japanese exchange student was found in a West End mansion. She had been reported missing by her boyfriend on Sept. 12. She was last seen in Burnaby five days earlier. William Victor Schneider, 48, was charged with indignity to a human body and is a suspect in her death.

Sept. 29 | Candace Young

Young, 61, was found just after 6:30 a.m. when police were called to an apartment near Rupert Street and Vanness Avenue. She was pronounced dead at the scene. John Hendricks Onland, 54, was arrested inside the apartment and has been charged with manslaughter.

Sept. 17 | Xuan Vanvy Bacao and Samantha Le

Vancouver police were called to a house on Dieppe Place, where officers found the body of Bacao, 24, and Le, 29. Officers also found a four-year-old child unharmed, but hiding in the home. Evidence gathered by police showed that along with the two murders, a man had also been kidnapped from the home. Police believed the murders and abduction were targeted incidents. Two days later police rescued the kidnap victim and took several people into custody.

Aug. 11 | Lauren Lindsay McLellan

McLellan, 28, died in hospital after a physical altercation with a woman outside Caprice Nightclub just before 2 a.m. Twenty-nine-year-old Samantha Nadine Doolan has been charged with manslaughter.

June 6 | Justin Pauwat Chan

The body of Chan, a 26-year-old Richmond resident, was found near the Fraser River. He was wrapped in black plastic and inside a sleeping bag near the Milltown Marina. Chan had links to gangs and the drug trade. Vancouver Police said his murder was targeted.

May 17 | Kennith King-Lok Leung

Around 10:30 p.m., police were called to the 500-block of West 27th Avenue after receiving multiple calls of shots being fired. When officers arrived, they found a silver vehicle on the sidewalk, and Leung, 23, fatally wounded in the driver’s seat. He is known to the police and the shooting appears targeted.

March 20 | Ryan Hardy

The 38-year-old man was fatally stabbed about 4:20 p.m. at Main and Hastings Street. He died later in hospital. No one has been charged yet.

Jan. 31 | Christopher Denis Kwik

The 40-year-old was the victim of a fatal shooting inside an apartment in the historic Edwards Block at 2425 Granville St., just before 11 p.m. Kwik was not a resident of the building. Kwik was charged days earlier with three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was scheduled to make a first court appearance on Feb. 2. There have been no arrests.

Delta Police:

Dec. 11 | Unidentified man

A 53-year-old Delta man died after a fight outside the Rose and Crown Pub in Tsawwassen. Delta Police are calling it a suspicious death until the cause of death is confirmed. They initially took two men into custody for questioning, but no charges have been laid.

March 3 | Robinder Virk

The remains of the missing Surrey man were discovered inside a known drug house in the 2000-block of Tsawwassen Drive in Delta. Virk, 32, was reported missing on Jan. 11, 2016, and was last seen on Jan. 3, 2016. While police announced the death was a suspected homicide, the cause of death has not yet been determined and the case remains a “suspicious death.” No charges have been laid.