Three Indian-Origin Men Convicted of First-Degree Murder in Canada Couple Killing

A Canadian court has found three Indian-origin men guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the 2022 killing of an elderly couple in Abbotsford, British Columbia, according to local broadcaster CBC News.

The accused Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor , all in their 20s were convicted for the deaths of Arnold and Joanne De Jong , who were found dead at their residence in May 2022.

The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the three men played a willing and integral role in the killings. Each of the accused had faced two counts of first-degree murder , and the court upheld these charges after trial proceedings in which they had initially pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors told the court that the murders were financially motivated and pre-planned , rejecting the defence argument that the incident was a botched robbery. The court heard that the accused allegedly entered the home with the intention to rob and kill the couple, later stealing items including credit cards, cheques, and a power washer .

The victims were discovered in separate bedrooms, bound and gagged, with Arnold De Jong’s face wrapped in duct tape and Joanne De Jong showing signs of severe injuries.

The prosecution relied on circumstantial and forensic evidence , including DNA traces from the crime scene, rope allegedly used in the attack, a metal baseball bat recovered from a vehicle linked to the accused, and phone data showing one of the men searched information about punishment for murder in Canada after the killings were reported.

Sentencing for all three convicted men has been scheduled for May 28 .