It was a horrific crime that shocked the community. Five people died, including a mother and her three children. They were killed in a house fire two years ago, victims of an alleged arsonist.
On Monday, the trial of the young man accused of causing their deaths got underway in the B.C. Supreme Court, in Vancouver.
The victims included 17-year-old Ashley Singh, who was staying over night at her boyfriend Bolingo Etibako's home in east Vancouver when a fire ripped through through the townhouse.
Singh and four members of the Etibako family were killed, including Bolingo's mother, two sisters aged 10 and 13 and his eight-year-old brother.
"Everybody's gone now right,'' said Bolingo.
Bolingo escaped, but spent months in hospital recovering from serious burns.
A little more than a year later, police arrested 19-year-old Nathan Richard Fry of Burnaby, B.C.
Fry appeared in B.C. Supreme Court, charged with five counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
It's the Crown's theory that Fry was out for revenge.
After a stabbing at a Burnaby SkyTrain station on March 22, 2005, Bolingo reported to police that Fry was responsible, who was then arrested and jailed.
The Crown believes Fry was angry at Bolingo for ratting on him.
During opening statements, the Crown revealed Fry was arrested after an undercover operation in which police posed as recruiting gang members.
In a recorded interview with a fake "crime boss," Fry allegedly confessed to lighting the fire and said his motive was animosity toward Bolingo Etibako.
Crown lawyers are alleging that Fry had "unique knowledge " of the crime that was never released in the press.
Meanwhile, Bolingo Etibako and another family member are scheduled to testify during the trial, which is expected to last five weeks.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Jina You
