Surrey North Delta Leader, October 07, 2014

Page 1

▼ Stories flow into Surrey Museum 18

Tuesday October 7 2014

The

Leader

▲ KPU teams creep closer to playoffs 15

‘IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY’ ▶ VICTIMS’ FAMILIES RELIEVED AFTER GUILTY VERDICT IN SURREY SIX MASS MURDER

SHEILA REYNOLDS

Applause erupted and sighs of relief drifted through a packed Vancouver courtroom Thursday morning as a judge found two men guilty of planning and carrying out the execution of six men in a Surrey apartment seven years ago. People inside B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver cried, embraced and shook hands after Cody Rae Haevischer and Matthew James Johnston were convicted by Justice Catherine Wedge of conspiracy to murder drug dealer Corey Lal and six counts each of first-degree murder for the slayings of Lal and his brother Michael Lal, Eddie Narong, Ryan Bartolomeo, Ed Schellenberg and Christopher Mohan. Mohan’s mother Eileen Mohan – who attended most of the lengthy trial since it began last fall – was all smiles following the guilty decisions. “It’s a beautiful day,” she said. “It’s a beautiful day for Christopher. “I’ve been waiting for seven years for this day and it has come. I am relieved and I know that my son is smiling down today.” Oct. 19, 2007 began as a typical

▶ “I have been waiting seven years for this day and it has come... I know that my son is smiling down today.” EILEEN MOHAN

▼ SURREY MAYORAL CANDIDATES OUTLINE THEIR FINANCIAL PLANS FOR IMPROVED PUBLIC SAFETY

HOW WILL SURREY PAY FOR MORE POLICE? KEVIN DIAKIW

Mayoral candidates are under fire as opponents ask how they will fund their increased policing promises. Mayoral hopeful Coun. Barinder Rasode announced this week she wants to hire 200 community safety personnel – trained like police officers but unarmed – to respond to minor incidents in Surrey, freeing up regular RCMP members to take on the more serious issues. And she would like retiring Delta Police Chief Jim Cessford to accept a new role as a deputy city manager to oversee police, firefighters, the legal department and bylaws. continued on page 4

Eileen Mohan reacts to the court’s decision in Vancouver on Thursday. Her only son Christoper was one of two bystanders killed in a Whalley highrise in 2007 in a gang-related slaying now know as the Surrey Six massacre. On Thursday, two men were convicted in the case. EVAN SEAL day for the Mohan family. Eileen had left for work, leaving her 22-year-old only son at home. She knew the building’s fireplaces were being serviced that day and wanted Chris to let the serviceman in. He did so, and later, planned to play basketball with some friends. However, he opened the door to leave his apartment and was spotted by someone in the hallway and pulled into the neighbouring death suite.

Schellenberg was a gas fitter from Abbotsford who had been servicing fireplaces in the Balmoral Tower building in Whalley that week. His nephew was working with him, but the building co-manager advised Schellenberg to take care of suite 1505 because of the type of people she’d seen coming and going. She testified she’d previously told the suite’s owner (who rented it out) she suspected his renters were dealing drugs.

Some choices are hard.

Four of the murdered men had links to the drug trade and were visiting apartment #1505, a stash house where nobody lived but where drugs were made and packaged for sale. Three men (plus Schellenberg) were there when the perpetrators showed up, while Narong appeared at the door shortly after, around the time Mohan stepped into the hallway. continued on page 11

Surrey First mayoral candidate Linda Hepner said Barinder Rasode’s safety plan is dangerous. FILE PHOTO

Some are easy.

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