Nearly seven years have passed since Nicholas Khabra was shot to death at a South Surrey home, and there is still no trial in sight for the man accused of killing him.
B.C. Prosecution Service communications counsel Ann Seymour confirmed Tuesday (Aug. 20) that new dates for the proceedings against Brandon Nathan Teixeira have not been set, since they were last adjourned in July 2023.
Booked to get underway in September of last year, the trial was postponed "pending resolution of outstanding pre-trial applications," Seymour said.
Seymour noted there were 103 pre-trial applications in the case 鈥� including at least one being heard in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster this week 鈥� but said such volume "is not unusual for cases of this magnitude."
Officials with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced in September 2018 that police were searching for Teixeira in connection with Khabra's death. The 28-year-old was found suffering from fatal gunshot wounds in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 2017, when police responded to a residence in the 14300-block of Crescent Road following a report of shots fired.
Teixeira was ultimately charged with first-degree murder in connection with the incident. He is facing additional charges of attempted murder and discharging a firearm with intent to wound or disfigure, in connection with gunshot wounds suffered on the same morning by a young woman who reportedly drove herself a short distance away from the scene and called 911. Police said at the time that they believed the woman, 24, was with Khabra when the shooting occurred.
Following a series of public appeals, warnings and manhunts 鈥� including one in South Surrey's Country Woods neighbourhood in September 2018 鈥� Teixeira was arrested in California in December 2019, after an anonymous tip pointed U.S. authorities to a residence in Oroville, a small city located about 100 kilometres north of Sacramento.
Teixeira did not surrender quietly and was described as using violent attempts to elude capture.
U.S court documents 鈥� obtained by Peace Arch News within days of Teixeira's arrest 鈥� allege Khabra鈥檚 death was motivated by revenge and a $160,000 bounty.
Teixeira was extradited to Canada in late April 2020.
Trial dates were first scheduled for July 2022 through January 2023.
Seymour said Thursday (Aug. 22) that she could not speculate as to when new trial dates will be set.
