A murder victim’s dying mother seeks answers to his death BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
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ive years after Deano Paus went missing, and four years after his body was found, his mother wants answers although she knows there is no such thing as closure. “That wouldn’t matter, that wouldn’t help,” Bev Paus says during an interview in her small Chilliwack apartment. The murder of her only son weighs on her terribly. “I still talk to my son and cry a lot. I’ve talked to other mothers who’ve lost and they all say the same thing: there is no closure, you never get over it, you take it to your grave.” But that doesn’t mean Bev and Deano’s only sibling, sister Loreal, don’t want to see an arrest, particularly because they and most in the underground drug world are certain who is responsible. Back in 2011, a year after Deano went missing and was presumed murdered, all signs pointed to a particular local drug dealer. Now, in 2015, they are more certain than ever who did it.
Untouchable The particular dealer most think directly or indirectly involved in the murder Paul J. Henderson/TIMES of Deano Paus was in jail in early 2010. Bev Paus still hasn’t seen justice for the murder of her son Deano five years ago. Deano and he had been friends at one time. He was even living in the dealer’s of tips and still nothing,” Bev said. “I don’t apartment and then he started to date his on his bedroom door. The family thinks whoever got to him was a friendly voice know if they are just trying to make me ex-girlfriend. Deano’s roommate, who because the front door feel better or what.” possibly considered of the apartment wasn’t Mounties will say little about the case. herself to be his girl“They’ve told me so damaged, while his Sgt. Stephanie Ashton of the RCMP’s friend didn’t take that many times they got bedroom door was Integrated Homicide Investigation Team particular relationship smashed in. (IHIT) told the Times only that the matter well, according to Bev. a lot of evidence off “Deano wouldn’t is still under investigation by IHIT. “The manager of the “No one has been charged at this the body and a lot have let anybody in that apartment block told he didn’t think was his point,” Ashton said via email, adding that me there was a fight of tips and still friend,” Bev said. perhaps a story might lead witnesses to one night between The case was declared come forward with new information. Deano and [her],” Bev nothing. I don’t murder nearly immeWhen the case first came to public said. “She was very know if they’re just adiately, attention five years ago, Deano Paus was but the 40-yearangry and screaming. What I think happened trying to make me old’s body wasn’t found described as “known to police,” as is the term often used for someone with a crimuntil 11 months later, in is [she] got word to [the feel better or what.” February 2011, by a hik- inal record. drug dealer] who DeaBut Deano’s sister Loreal says her er in the woods between no was dating.” - Bev Paus brother was a hard worker, loved by a Agassiz and Hope. The dealer got out of great many friends. He was a comedian, a If it’s so obvious jail on March 15, 2010. softball player, an uncle and much more. who killed Deano, why has no one been Deano went missing March 17. arrested? Loreal said Deano had a metal bar on “They’ve told me so many times they the inside of his front door so the door { See DEANO, page A20 } got a lot of evidence off the body and a lot couldn’t be kicked in. He also had a lock
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TRUCK MONTH City must pay $220K ruling GM 10305391 GMBC.15MA.MEN3.BW.EL 2.83” x 1” Gotham Family, Klavika Family 220 dpi 15.03.16 Chilliwack Times 1 15.03.16
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Expropriation value by city shortchanged downtown Irwin Block landowner Production Artist:
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BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
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BC Supreme Court Justice has ordered the City of Chilliwack to pay $220,000 to the man who once owned the Irwin Block at Five Corners. Xing Chen of Vancouver was paid $600,000 when the city expropriated his building at 9282 Young Rd. in late 2012. Chen said the building was worth $1.1 million. In a ruling in BC Supreme Court in New Westminster on March 11, Justice Margot Fleming split the difference of two divergent assessments, settling on a value of $820,000 for the building. The Irwin Block was expropriated by city hall on Dec. 27, 2012. City council was told it would take more than it was worth, $800,000, to get the empty building back up to occupancy. The building was demolished along with two adjacent ones at a cost of $141,000 in 2014 as part of the city’s plan to assemble a 1.5acre chunk of land downtown for future development. The plan, still in action, is to acquire land in the block bounded by Young Road, Yale Road and Princess Avenue, and to make the block “development ready.” The site of the Irwin block on the southeast corner of Five Corners is currently a park. On April 17, 2013, Chen filed the lawsuit seeking the market value he estimated of $1.1 million plus what is known as “disturbance damages” of $26,000 in relation to property transfer tax. He later amended his claim of disturbance
damages the difference Art Director: to be Creative Director: between what he paid for the property in 2009 ($706,200) Copywriter: Account Manager: and the $600,000 he was paid, plus interest on the mortgage he incurred, property taxes he paid plus $20,000 for “designing and co-ordinating” the property for development. His final claim for disturbance damages was $235,500. Chen testified that in 2012 he corresponded with former mayor and then Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation (CEPCO) CEO John Jansen about his ideas for developing the property. The court heard that Chen received a positive response from Jansen after he sent a development proposal. “Mr. Chen inquired about incentives available from the City and advised Mr. Jensen [sic] that one of his key investors was skeptical and hesitant after researching Chilliwack’s downtown and the current surrounding market,” Fleming wrote. The judge decided, however, that Chen did not establish any loss for design and development costs attributable to the expropriation and dismissed his claim for disturbance damages. The crux of the civil case rested on two widely divergent assessments. Chen’s assessor Simon Poon filed a report on Feb. 20, 2013 estimating the property at $1.1 million. The city’s assessor Dale Hooker appraised the property on Oct. 27, 2013 at $600,000. After analyzing in detail the assessment techniques used by both Poon and Hooker, Fleming found neither came up with an accurate and objective market assessment. “Given the difficulties I have identified with the opinion evidence of both experts, I am unable to accept either appraiser’s final estimate of market value,” Fleming wrote in her decision. “I conclude that $820,000 is the proper estimate of market value for the property at the time of expropriation.” 6854583
Justice for Deano
Thursday, March 19, 2015 A3
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