3 Indian-origin men found guilty of couple’s murder (Img: Internet)
New Delhi: A court in Canada has found three Indian-origin men guilty of the first-degree murder of an elderly couple in Abbotsford, British Columbia, in a case that shocked the country in 2022.
The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor were active participants in the killings of Arnold and Joanne De Jong. The judgment was delivered on Friday by Justice Brenda Brown. The three accused, all in their 20s, had pleaded not guilty during the trial.
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Arnold De Jong, 77, and his wife Joanne De Jong, 76, were found dead inside their rural Abbotsford residence on May 9, 2022.
Investigators revealed that Arnold died from asphyxiation after his head and face were wrapped in duct tape. Joanne was found in a separate bedroom with her throat slit. Court documents stated that both victims had their hands and feet tied with rope.
The brutal nature of the killings drew widespread attention across Canada.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the murders were financially motivated and carefully executed. The court accepted that argument and rejected the defence claim that the deaths occurred during a robbery that went wrong.
Justice Brenda Brown stated in her ruling that all three accused were “willing, knowledgeable and integral” participants in the murders. The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 28.
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Prosecutors presented multiple pieces of circumstantial evidence during the proceedings, including DNA recovered from the crime scene, rope allegedly used in the attack and a metal baseball bat recovered from the suspects’ vehicle.
Investigators also told the court that the accused had searched online for information related to murders and punishments in Canada. According to prosecutors, the men stole credit cards, cheques and a power washer after killing the couple.
Court proceedings revealed that the three men had worked for a cleaning company owned by Abhijeet Singh. The company had reportedly carried out work at the victims’ residence on multiple occasions before the killings. The case remains one of the most disturbing double murder investigations in recent Canadian history.
