A man claiming to be the suspect in a Surrey murder investigation called CTV News Sunday to say he is innocent and not ready to go to jail.
Barry McQuarrie, who has been on the run for nearly a week amid police warnings he is armed and dangerous, said he has been watching news reports and doesn’t like the way he’s been portrayed.
“I just want to let the public know that I am not armed and I am not dangerous. I am not out to hurt everyone,” he said. “I’ve always never handed myself in. This is a cat and mouse game. I’m not handing myself in to the cops because I’m not getting myself out when I get arrested. So they have to do their job and find me.”
Police have been trying to find 33-year-old McQuarrie following the shooting death of Gregory Quesnelle in a Cloverdale townhouse Monday.
Investigators said the incident was likely a domestic dispute, and after the incident they issued a public warning that McQuarrie was armed and dangerous.
Police also allege McQuarrie switched the licence plates before torching his getaway car to cover his tracks.
But in a call to the CTV Newsroom Sunday afternoon, McQuarrie denied all of the allegations.
He said his ex-girlfriend began dating Quesnelle and admitted using bear-spray on Quesnelle in self-defense in a fight days before the murder.
“I had a problem with him about a week ago. I didn’t go back and kill him,” McQuarrie said.
Investigators told CTV News the call does appear to have been from McQuarrie and not an imposter.
“I believe based on what we’ve been told that this was Mr. McQuarrie who reached out to contact CTV News, and we want to speak to him,” said Sgt. Adam MacIntosh, spokesman for the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
Police are still warning the public not to approach McQuarrie no matter how safe he claims to be.
“We’re going to look at it with a grain of salt,” MacIntosh said. “I can tell you that our information suggests that there is a risk to the public and our goal is ultimately public safety.”
Criminologist Rob Gordon said it is rare for fugitives to call TV news stations, and that McQuarrie is likely feeling the heat as investigators try to track him down.
“It’s an indication of the extent to which he’s now isolated,” Gordon said. “That he probably is running out of friends, certainly running out of money.”
But McQuarrie said he has no plans to turn himself in to authorities for now.
“I want to enjoy the summer as much as I can,” he said. “When the time comes after the summer is over, maybe I might hand myself in. If I make it that long.”
McQuarrie has not been charged in connection with Quesnelle’s death but is wanted on a series of unrelated warrants.
The suspect has a long criminal history involving theft, break-and-enter and assault, and in the past police have described him as an out-of-control drug addict.
In 2005, when McQuarrie was 24 years old, he was accused of shooting a Langley man in the shoulder.
Anyone with information on the killing or McQuarrie’s whereabouts is asked to call the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 if they wish to remain anonymous.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Jon Woodward.
