The Vancouver man who admitted to beating his dog Captain and leaving it for dead in a dumpster two years ago is now accused of killing his mother.
Police arrested Brian Whitlock, 28, early Sunday morning following a tense, hours-long standoff at a home in the Dunbar neighbourhood, where a woman’s body was discovered the night before.
Court documents confirm the deceased is Whitlock’s mother, Barbara.
Whitlock has been charged with second-degree murder and made a brief court appearance Monday, where he was remanded into custody.
He’s being defended by Tony Paisana and Jeff Campbell, the same lawyers who represented him in his trial for killing Captain. The legal team said Whitlock was under court orders to undergo psychiatric treatment as part of his probation, but couldn’t confirm whether he had received it.
“We’ll be reviewing the history of his psychiatric treatment. Whether that’s a factor in this case, we don’t know yet,” Campbell said.
Whitlock is scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 24 by video conference.
Neighbours say the home where Whitlock was arrested, located at West 23rd Avenue and Balaclava Street, belonged to his mother, and that he may have recently moved back in with her.
The accused allegedly barricaded himself inside the residence on Saturday night, sparking an eight-hour stalemate with negotiators, police and Emergency Response Team members.
Police eventually used a flash-bang and non-lethal ammunition to arrest the suspect just before 5 a.m. Sunday.
“There was some indications that there may be some mental health issues here and that will be something that we will look into during the course of the investigation,” Vancouver Police Const. Brian Montague said.
Whitlock admitted to beating his dog Captain with a baseball bat in July 2012, believing the animal to be possessed and leaving him to die in a dumpster. The two-year-old German shepherd was found covered in cuts, bruises and puncture wounds and later died in veterinary care.
Whitlock was sentenced to 60 days in jail and received a lifetime ban on owning animals.
Neighbours in the community where he was arrested Sunday told CTV News they were aware the dog-killer had been living in the area.
“We were all very upset that he moved into the neighbourhood because we’re all dog owners,” said Leah McIntyre. “And he did come to the dog park every now and then to just hang out. It was a bit creepy in that way.”
Barrie Urquhart said he employed Whitlock one summer and was dismayed to hear about the murder charge.
“My daughter befriended him many times. He’s been in our house,” Urquhart said. “We knew a lot about his history. I think he’s been troubled.”
An investigation into the murder is ongoing, and the allegations against Whitlock haven’t been proven in court.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Shannon Paterson
