A joint VPD and Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) investigation led to the arrest of a 21-year-old man in connection with two previously unsolved Metro Vancouver murders.
The investigation dates back to 2022, when the first of two victims was discovered.
On May 26, 2022, 18-year-old Maanav Kinkar’s deceased body was discovered at Hazelnut Meadows Park, which is located near 140th Street and 68th Avenue in Surrey.
IHIT led that investigation, beginning the search for a suspect.
Ten months later, 22-year-old Caleb Morin was stabbed and killed near Boundary Road and East 45th Avenue in Vancouver. We mentioned Morin in a story about four overnight stabbings that strained first responders in Vancouver in 2023. Morin was taken to the hospital, where he died of his injuries.
VPD said there was no connection between the murders.
“Our teams worked diligently and in close partnership to solve these crimes and provide closure to the victims’ families and our communities,” said VPD Constable Tania Visintin.
“While these homicides were not connected, the cooperation between our agencies led to the evidence we needed to make this arrest.”
In a statement, VPD said it “worked collaboratively with IHIT to gather evidence that eventually linked a single suspect to both cases.”
VPD homicide detectives made an arrest near East 29th Avenue and Rupert Street on Thursday, May 8.
VPD has named the suspect as 21-year-old Nahom Gizaw. While he’s now 21, he would’ve been closer to 18 at the time of the first homicide. Gizaw is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, and he remains in custody.
“The charge approval stage is a significant milestone,” said IHIT Sergeant Freda Fong in a statement.
“Our success was due to the collaboration between the VPD and IHIT, whose investigators worked tirelessly to maintain the integrity of the joint investigation.”
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