'We believe they were strangers': Woman charged, victim identified after fatal stabbing in Vancouver

A woman has been charged with second-degree murder following a fatal stabbing that Vancouver police say happened between two people who didn't know each other.

The Vancouver Police Department gave an update Tuesday on its investigation into a stabbing that happened last week in Yaletown.

A 29-year-old victim, Justin Mohrmann, was stabbed while he was walking near Smithe and Homer streets on July 11.

Police closed Smithe between Mainland and Homer streets while responding to the incident. Clothing and blood could be seen on the sidewalk in the aftermath of the stabbing.

Police said their investigation led them to arrest 34-year-old Lindsay Scott on Sunday. She was charged this week with one count of second-degree murder and remains in custody.

"Investigators have found no evidence to suggest the victim and accused knew each other," said Sgt. Steve Addison Tuesday. "We believe they were strangers."

Police said they're still working to gather evidence in the homicide and released a photo of the victim with the hope people will come forward with more information. Also, anyone who thinks they may have interacted with Scott the morning of July 11 is asked to call investigators at 604-717-2500.

Scott is also facing an assault charge for an incident that happened just 15 minutes prior to the fatal stabbing, when she allegedly attacked a 21-year-old woman on Davie Street. 

Authorities said the two women did not know each other either. 

While police haven't released a photo of Scott, she's described as white and having short, auburn hair. She's about 5'6", weighs 110 pounds and at the time of the incident she was wearing all black, police said.

"Just because an arrest is made doesn't mean we stop investigating or stop collecting evidence, so we're still gathering information to better under exactly what did happen," Addison said, adding that he expects this investigation to continue "for a long time."

Even though the victim and suspect didn't know each other, Addison would not confirm the attack was random, saying he couldn't speak to motive or any possible provocation.

"This incident was frightening to a lot of people," he said. "We never want to tell people to change their behaviour. We believe that people should be able to move around the city and live their lives without fear."

Julian Somers, SFU health sciences professor and clinical psychologist, said robberies and other crimes resulting from the need for survival make up the vast majority of stranger offences. Incidents of random violence make up just 10 per cent of them. 

“In some of our research, these violent offences are caused by chaos in the situations where they're living, and also their own untreated mental illnesses,” Somers said.

He said the province needs to step up and create meaningful change, by providing housing and employment opportunities, and opportunities for social connections.

“Not telling them what to do, but listening to the things that they need assistance with from their own mouths,” Somers said. “We need a plan. We don't have a plan. We're responding reactively with more of the same, time after time, and problems are continuing to worsen."

While there’s been a rampant string of stranger attacks, last week's stabbing was the first time one turned deadly this year.

The incident marked the city's eighth homicide of 2022.