A man who fatally stabbed his girlfriend at the entrance to Metropolis at Metrotown mall in Burnaby four years ago has been convicted of second-degree murder.
Emergency crews found Melissa Blimkie, 25, with stab wounds at the mall entrance just before noon on Dec. 19, 2021. She later died in hospital.
Police arrested Everton Downy the following day, who was charged with her murder. According to police, the couple had been in a relationship for “some time” prior to Blimkie’s killing.
On Tuesday, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said Downey was found guilty of the killing in B.C. Supreme Court on Aug. 21.
“This was a tragic instance of intimate partner violence that has had a devastating impact on Melissa’s family and her community,” says IHIT spokesperson Cpl. Esther Tupper said in a media release.
A sentencing hearing is expected in the coming weeks.
Under the Criminal Code, second-degree murder carries an automatic penalty of life in prison, with no chance of parole between 10 and 25 years.