The annual homicide record has officially been broken in Surrey, after investigators confirmed the man found dead earlier this week was met with foul play.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has also identified the victim as Mark Winston Berry, a 44-year-old with an extensive criminal record dating back to 1987.
An autopsy has been performed on Berry but IHIT is withholding the cause of death.
Mounties discovered his body inside a home in 12000-block of 99 Avenue on Monday morning while responding to a 911 call of a disturbance.
IHIT said Berry was known to occasionally stay at the home, but he didn’t live there.
His death marked the 22nd homicide of 2013 in Surrey, the highest count in the city’s history.
By comparison, Vancouver’s year-to-date total is five.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts has promised to look into the spike, which jumped dramatically from the 2012 total of nine, with a homicide task force.
Watts and RCMP said the majority of murders have been linked to drugs and crime.
Anyone with information on the latest killing is asked to call the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-IHIT or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
