Murder charge laid, victim identified in stabbing at Burnaby, B.C. mall
Homicide investigators say a man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to the fatal stabbing at Burnaby's Metrotown mall last month.
Everton Downey, 31, has been charged in the killing of 25-year-old North Vancouver resident Melissa Blimkie, according to a news release from the Lower Mainland's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.
IHIT said the two were in a relationship "for some time prior to the homicide."
Downey remains in police custody, IHIT said.
Mounties were called to a parking garage at Metrotown late in the morning of Dec. 19. When they arrived, they found a victim with stab wounds. She was taken to hospital, where she died of her injuries.
Video from the scene showed debris on the floor just inside an entrance to the mall near Walmart. Nearby streets were behind police tape for much of the afternoon, and police could be seen entering an apartment building on Dow Avenue, not far from the scene.
Announcing the charges on Wednesday, IHIT thanked Burnaby RCMP for assisting "in the containment of Mr. Downey." Investigators also thanked Metro Vancouver Transit Police for making the initial arrest.
“This is an unimaginable loss for the friends and family of Melissa,” said IHIT spokesperson Sgt. David Lee, in the release.
“We hope that this outcome provides them with some answers.”
Although Downey has been charged, the investigation is ongoing, police said. They released a photo of Blimkie in hopes of identifying "associates" who can provide more information about the relationship between her and Downey.
Investigators ask anyone with information to contact the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448 or ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.