VANCOUVER - Two men accused in the gang slayings of six people in a Surrey, B.C., apartment have been found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the deaths.
B.C. Supreme Court Judge Catherine Wedge said Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston played key roles in the execution-style killings of defenceless victims.
Families and friends of the victims applauded when the verdicts were announced Thursday.
On Oct. 19, 2007, Haevischer, Johnston and an associate who can only be identified as Person X entered the suite of Corey Lal.
The trial heard they'd been sent there by their gang leadership to kill a rival drug dealer. Lal's brother, Michael, and associates Eddie Narong and Ryan Bartolomeo were caught in the crossfire.
Ed Schellenberg, a 55-year-old father of two, was in the building to service fireplaces and Chris Mohan, a 22-year-old student who lived next door with his mother, were also killed in the suite. Like the others, hoods were placed over their heads before they were shot execution-style.
Court heard that the five other men were killed to eliminate potential witnesses.
The Crown's theory was that the leaders of the Red Scorpion gang attempted to extort $200,000 from Lal and when he didn't pay, they ordered him killed.
"Both Mr. Haevishcer and Mr. Johnston went to suite 1505 with the common purpose of killing Mr. Lal," Wedge told a packed courtroom.
Eileen Mohan, the mother of the young man who was dragged into the suite by the killers, said the wait for justice was long but she was confident of the outcome even as she tried to temper her expectations before she walked into the courtroom.
"Today is a great day for Christopher. I've been waiting for seven years for this day," Mohan said. "My son is smiling down today and it's a good feeling."
Mark Levitz, the lead prosecutor in the case, noted after the verdict that it's been almost seven years to the day since the six men were killed.
"They left mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, a wife and children who had to suffer all these years. I hope the verdict today gives them some comfort."
A couple of months into the trial, gang leader Michael Le entered a surprise guilty plea to conspiracy. The Crown dropped a first-degree murder charge and Le was sentenced to 12 years in prison in exchange for his testimony.
Person X pleaded guilty in April 2009 to three counts of second-degree murder and is serving a life sentence.
The trial took a year and heard from 73 witnesses.
The witness list included a gang leader who admitted to ordering the hit, as well as several former gangsters involved in the plot.
The Surrey murders were part of a bloody gang war that spanned several years and turned the streets of Metro Vancouver into a virtual shooting gallery.
Hardly a week went by without a drive-by shooting or criminal assassination of some sort.
Next May, former Red Scorpions leader Jamie Bacon faces trial for conspiracy and one count of first-degree murder in relation to the deaths. Bacon faces three additional charges alleging he ordered a hit on Person X.
Mohan said she can finally smile and planned to celebrate the guilty verdicts with a glass of wine.
"I'm going to try and relax and prepare for Jamie Bacon's trial," she said.
Another man, Sophon Sek, is awaiting a separate trial for manslaughter.
Timeline of Surrey Six shootings after verdicts
Significant dates in the case of a gang shooting that killed six people, including two innocent bystanders, in Surrey, B.C.:
Oct. 19, 2007: Six people are found dead in a highrise condo in Surrey. The men are later identified as Michael Lal, 26; Ryan Bartolomeo, 19; Corey Lal, 21; Eddie Narong, 22; Ed Schellenberg, 55; and Chris Mohan, 22. Police say Schellenberg, a fireplace repairman, and Mohan, who lived across the hall from the murder scene, were in the wrong place.
April 3, 2009: A man pleads guilty to three counts of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, but due to a publication ban he can only be referred to as Person X.
April 4, 2009: RCMP announce charges against Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnson, both 24, for conspiracy and six counts of first-degree murder. RCMP also announce charges against James Bacon, 23, for conspiracy and one count of first-degree murder.
June 18, 2009: Mounties announce that Quang Vinh Thang (Michael) Le, 24, was arrested the day before as he arrived in Manila from Vietnam. Charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy were approved in Canada a month earlier.
June 29, 2009: Police announce Le has been extradited to Canada from the Philippines.
Sept. 30, 2013: Haevischer, Johnson and Le stand trial in Vancouver. Bacon will stand trial separately at a later date.
Nov. 28, 2013: Le pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit murder; the Crown says it won't proceed with the murder charge.
Dec. 17, 2013: Le is sentenced to 12 years in prison. With time served, three years remain on his sentence and he could be eligible to apply for parole by the end of 2014.
April 7, 2014: B.C. Supreme Court Judge Catherine Wedge lifts a publication ban that allows reporters to reveal that Le signed an immunity deal and agreed to testify against Haevischer and Johnson. Le is also expected to testify at Bacon's trial.
May 20, 2014: The Crown wraps up its case against Haevischer and Johnston.
June 9, 2014: Defence lawyers for Haevischer and Johnston announce they won't be calling any evidence.
July 2, 2014: The Crown begins closing arguments.
Oct. 2, 2014: Cody Haevischer and Matthew Johnston each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit murder and six counts of first-degree murder in the deaths.
