Brandy Petrie, a 34-year-old Burnaby woman, and Avery Levely-Flescher, 20, of Surrey have been identified as the two people who were shot and killed on a rural road in 91原创 early Friday morning, Sept. 1.
Charged in their killings is 21-year-old Travis MacPhail of 91原创.
MacPhail has been charged with two counts of second degree murder in the deaths of Petrie and Levely-Flescher. He is also charged with aggravated sexual assault, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition and uttering threats.
MacPhail, who appears to have once been a student at Aldergrove Community Secondary School, was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.
鈥淭he aggravated sex assault charge is not linked to the homicide victims,鈥� said Integrated Homicide Investigation Team spokesman Cpl. Frank Jang.
Court documents online, appear to indicate the offense of aggravated sexual assault occurred on Aug. 31 in 91原创.
鈥淒uring the course of the investigation [into the double homicide] there was sufficient evidence to charge him with aggravated sex assault, uttering threats and possession of a loaded, prohibited firearm,鈥� said Jang during a press conference at RCMP E-Division headquarters on Tuesday.
MacPhail is known to police but he doesn鈥檛 have a criminal record, said Jang.
Jang wouldn鈥檛 say if the victims knew the suspect. He also didn鈥檛 allude to what the motivation for the killings might have been. No other information was provided as the matter is now before the courts.
Early in the investigation, the evidence suggested the crime was not random and there doesn鈥檛 appear to be any links with any other acts of violence in the Lower Mainland, police said.
Jang commended the quick response of 91原创 RCMP general duty officers who arrived on scene and arrested the suspect.
鈥淭he quick response of the 91原创 RCMP first responders should be acknowledged as well as the tenacious work of IHIT investigators and our partners in securing charge approval.鈥�
HIT has been working in partnership with the 91原创 RCMP, the Integrated Forensic Identification Section and the B.C. Coroner鈥檚 Service to gather evidence.
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ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES BELOW:
At 5:30 a.m. Friday, 91原创 RCMP received reports of shots fired at 232 Street and 64 Avenue.
Curtis Kreklau of South Fraser News Services reported that RCMP arrived in the area and quickly located a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle.
Police on scene at 232/64 Ave
鈥� Gary Ahuja (@garyahuja1)
Kreklau noted that an officer took a man and a woman into custody from a red Jeep.
He said the officer then located the victims鈥� vehicle crashed off the road into a heavily wooded area in the 23600 block of 64 Avenue.
One female victim was located deceased in the vehicle with gunshot wounds, according to Kreklau, while a second male was pulled from the vehicle with gunshot wounds and medical aid was rendered.
BC Ambulance Service transported the victim with critical injuries to Royal Columbian Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
91原创 homicide: no info to indicate link to other acts of violence. Update to follow in coming days.
鈥� IHIT (@HomicideTeam)
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
