Feb 10th, 2006 - 02:43:44 PM File #Surrey 2006-17148


Missing 26-year-old Male

February 10, 2006

Surrey: 26-year-old Jeffrey James SABINE was reported missing on Wednesday February 08 at 22:30 PM. He told his fiancé he was going for a walk and has not been seen by her since. There is no indication of his whereabouts at this time and it is feared he may be suicidal.

He is described as a Caucasian male with brown hair (long in the back, receding in front) and brown eyes. He weighs approximately 130 lbs and is 5'6" tall. Jeffrey was wearing blue jeans and a black leather jacket with a white hooded sweatshirt the night he went missing. Please view the attached photograph of Jeffrey.


Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Constable Withycombe of the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or, if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-Tips.

Miriam Booth, Cpl. Phone: 604-599-7776
Surrey RCMP Media Relations Fax: 604-599-8894
14355 57th Avenue
Surrey, BC V3X 1A9

email: surrey_media_relations@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
-30-


Surrey RCMP, .
Surrey RCMP Detachment
14355 57th Avenue
Surrey, B.C. V3X 1A9

Phone: (604)599-0502
Fax: (604)599-8892
Email: media.webmaster@rcmp-grc.gc.ca


Surrey RCMP Detachment Surrey RCMP








Release date: February 10, 2006 9:10 p.m.
Incident: Found Body
Occurred: February 10, 2006 3:30 p.m.
Location: 1500 block Cliveden Ave
Delta file:


Found Body
 
At 3:30 PM on February 10th 2006, Delta PD officers were called to the 1500 block of Cliveden Avenue, Delta for a report of a found body.

A deceased adult Caucasian male was discovered washed up on the shore of the Fraser River. Identification has not been determined and efforts to identify are continuing. Major Crime Detectives are investigating and are treating the incident as a suspicious death.

An autopsy and post mortem is scheduled for Monday February 
13th 2006. 








Release date: February 15, 2006 3:00 p.m.
Incident: Found body/Homicide
Occurred: February 10, 2006
Location: 1600 block Cliveden Avenue
Delta file: 06-3158


Police Arrest Homicide Suspect 

On February 10, 2006 police were called to the 1600 block of Cliveden Avenue, Delta after the body of a deceased male was discovered.

The circumstances surrounding this incident were suspicious and the file was treated as a potential homicide by Delta Police Major Crime Investigators.

Police were able to confirm that the male, identified as Jeffrey Sabine, 26 years and a resident of Surrey, was the victim of foul play.

Through investigation by the Delta Police, Beverly Ann Earhart was arrested and charged. Crown has approved two charges; Murder and Interfering with a Dead Body. Ms. Earhart was scheduled to appear in court on February 15, 2006 and has been remanded into custody.

The investigation is still ongoing. 





Woman charged with man's murder
Feb, 16, 2006 - 12:30 AM

DELTA/CKNW(AM980) - Delta Police say a woman has been charged in the death of 26 year old Jeffery Sabine of Surrey.

He was found dead last Friday at a home in the 16-hundred block of Cliveden Avenue.  (This was the radio stations error for his body really was found washed up on the shores of Fraser River)

Beverly Ann Earhart has been charged with murder and interfering with a dead body.

She makes her next court appearance on February 21st.







Vancouver/Lower Mainland Violent Deaths 2006

Recent Murder Headlines

 JEFFREY SABINE

Delta Police say a woman has been charged in the death of 26 year old Jeffrey Sabine of Surrey. He was found dead last Friday at a home in the 16-hundred block of Cliveden Avenue. Beverly Ann Earhart, 41, has been charged with murder with murder and interfering with a dead body in the death of her common-law husband Jeffrey Sabine. Also charged are Earhart's daughter, Ashleigh Hiebert, 19, Jeffrey Ashmore, 24 and Christopher Cyz, 23. Feb. 10, 2006. (Another Mistake)




Man reported missing was murdered

By Dan Ferguson
Staff Reporter
Feb 17 2006

Less than a week after she reported her 26-year-old boyfriend missing, a 41-year-old woman has been charged with his death.
When Beverly Ann Earhart went to the RCMP last week, she told them Surrey resident Jeffery James Sabine had gone for a walk and never returned.
She was worried, she said, because he seemed suicidal.
The Mounties issued a public alert for the 5'6", 130lb. man, asking anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts to contact police.
Then, last Friday, Delta Police retrieved a body that had washed ashore along the Fraser River near the 1500 block of Cliveden Avenue at Annacis Island.
It was Sabine.
Following an autopsy, Earhart was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of interference with a dead body.
She made a brief appearance in Surrey Provincial Court Wednesday.  She will remain in jail until her bail hearing in B.C Supreme Court in New Westminister.




Missing man was murdered

Feb 17 2006

Less than a week after she reported her 26-year-old boyfriend missing, a 41-year-old woman has been charged with his death.
When Beverly Ann Earhart went to Surrey RCMP last week, she told them Jeffery James Sabine had gone for a walk and never returned.
She was worried, she said, because he seemed suicidal.
The Mounties issued a public alert for the 5'6", 130lb. man, asking anyone with the knowledge of his whereabouts to contact police.
Then, last Friday, Delta Police retrieved the body that had washed ashore along the Fraser River near the 1500 block of Cliveden Avenue at Annacis Island.
It was Sabine.
Following an autopsy, Earhart was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count fo interference with a dead body.  She made a brief appearance in court Wednesday.  She will remain in jail until her bail hearing in B.C Supreme Court.




Woman charged in murder of man found on Annacis

The common law wife of a young man whose body was found last Friday on Annacis Island has been charged with murder.

Beverly Ann Earhart, 41, was arrested just a few days after the body of Jeffrey Sabine, 26, was found in the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue.

"The circumstances surrounding this incident were suspicious and the file was treated as a potential homicide by Delta police major crime investigators," said media liaison officer Const. Kim Sheridan.

Sabine was a resident of Surrey.

Delta police recommended charges of murder and interfering with a dead body.

Earhart made her first appearance in Surrey provincial court Wednesday and was held in custody.

The investigation is ongoing.

published on 02/18/2006 





February 20, 2006

Surrey resident charged for murder 

Tom Zytaruk

Surrey resident Beverly Ann Earhart has been charged with murder in the death of her commonlaw husband Jeffrey Sabine, whose body was found by police in the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island a week ago Friday.

Earhart, 41, is also charged with interfering with a dead body. She is expected to appear in Surrey provincial court on Tuesday.

Sabine was 26. 







Bradford Sabine

Sabine- Bradford Douglas passed away February 20, 2006 at the Foothills Hospital, at the age of 55 after a valiant four-year battle with cancer.  Brad was a wonderful father, son, brother, uncle, grandfather, and caring friend to all who knew and loved him.  Private family services following Cremation.
Published in the Calgary Herald on 2/23/2006.







Media Releases - April 2006
Release date: April 13, 2006 2:45 p.m.
Incident: Police need information
Occurred: April 13, 2006 2:45 p.m.
Location:
Delta file:


Police need information about rings owned by murder victim 



The Delta Police Serious Crime Section is continuing the investigation into the Murder of Jeffrey SABINE that occurred on February 8th, 2006.

Police have arrested and charged Beverly EARHART (DRIEDGER) with this murder. Police are actively seeking the public’s assistance in locating two gold rings that may have been discarded in Surrey shortly after the murder.

Investigators believe that two gold rings belonging to Jeff SABINE were discarded in a residential area in the North Surrey area close to the Port Mann Bridge.

Anyone who may have found any gold rings shortly after February 8th, 2006 is asked to contact the Delta Police Serious Crime Section at (604) 946-4411. 






Saturday April 15, 2006

DELTA POLICE APPEAL: SEEK GOLD RINGS

The Delta Police Serious Crime Section is continuing the investigation into the murder of Jeffrey Sabine that occurred on February 8. Police have arrested and charged Beverly Earhart (Driedger) with this murder. Police are actively seeking the public's assistance in locating two gold rings that may have been discarded in Surrey shortly after the murder.

Investigators believe that two gold rings belonging to Sabine were discarded in a residential area in the North Surrey area close to the Port Mann Bridge. Anyone who may have found any gold rings shortly after February 8, is asked to contact the Delta Police Serious Crime Section at (604) 946-4411. 








Release date: May 15, 2006 3:10 pm
Incident: First-Degree Murder
Occurred: February 10, 2006
Location: Annacis Island
Delta file: -


Four People Arrested for First-Degree Murder 

Delta Police have laid four first-degree murder charges against four Surrey residents following an investigation into the homicide of 26 year old, Jeffery Sabine.

The accused, two females and two males were arrested by members of Delta's Criminal Investigation Branch, near the Boundary Bay Airport on May 12, 2006.

Background:

On February 10, 2006, Mr. Sabine's body was found on the shoreline of the Fraser River by a passerby near the 1600 block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island.

The circumstances surrounding the incident were suspicious and the file was treated as a potential homicide by major crime investigators. Following an autopsy, police confirmed that Sabine was the victim of foul play.

On February 14, 2006, Beverly Ann Earhart, 41, was charged with murder in connection with Sabine's death. Earhart was Sabine's common-law wife.

Earhart had originally reported Sabine as missing to the Surrey RCMP on February 10, 2006.

Following Earhart's arrest, Delta police continued their investigation focusing on additional suspects. The first-degree murder charges come at the conclusion of a successful three month police investigation

Earhart, originally charged with second degree murder has now been charged with first degree murder.

Also charged is Earhart's daughter, Ashleigh Hiebert, 19; Jeffrey Ashmore, 24; and Christopher Cyz, 23.

Currently all the accused are being held in custody pending their next Court appearance.
 




Police arrest murder suspects near Boundary Bay Airport

by Maureen Gulyas

A mother and daughter are among four people charged with first degree murder following an investigation into the death of 26-year-old Jeffery Sabine.

The charges against four Surrey residents followed their arrest by members of Delta police's criminal investigation branch near the Boundary Bay Airport last Friday.Police refused to say why the accused, two females and two males, were arrested near the airport in East Ladner.

On Feb. 10, Sabine's body was found on the shoreline of the Fraser River by a passerby near the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island.

The circumstances surrounding the incident were suspicious and the file was treated as a potential homicide by major crime investigators. Following an autopsy, police confirmed that Sabine was the victim of foul play.

Just four days later, Sabine's common-law wife, Beverly Ann Earhart, 41, was charged with murder in connection with the young man's death.

Earhart had originally reported Sabine as missing to the Surrey RCMP the same day his body was discovered on Annacis Island.

Despite Earhart's arrest, Delta police continued its investigation, focusing on additional suspects, said media liaison officer Const. Rick Peeler.

The first degree murder charges come at the conclusion of a three-month police probe.

"Members of the Delta police criminal investigation branch worked extremely hard on this case. It was complex and involved several suspects. I'm very pleased with the work they've done," said S/Sgt. Lorne Pike.

Earhart, originally charged with second degree murder, has now been charged with first degree murder.

Also charged are Earhart's daughter, Ashleigh Hiebert, 19, Jeffrey Ashmore, 24 and Christopher Cyz, 23.

All the accused are being held in custody pending their next court appearance.

Peeler said this is the second time in the history of the department that charges of first degree murder have been laid against four individuals. The first time was in 2002 when four men were charged with the first degree murder of school teacher Gary Sidhu.

published on 05/17/2006 





Mother, daughter booked for murder

Maureen Gulyas

Now Contributor

A mother and daughter are among four people charged with first-degree murder following an investigation into the death of 26-year-old Jeffery Sabine.

The charges against four Surrey residents followed their arrest Friday by members of Delta's criminal investigation branch. Police refused to say why the accused, two females and two males were arrested near Boundary Bay Airport.

Last Feb. 10, Sabine's body was found on the shoreline of the Fraser River by a passerby near the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island.

The circumstances surrounding the incident were suspicious and the file was treated as a potential homicide by police investigators. Following an autopsy, police confirmed Sabine was the victim of foul play. Just four days later, Sabine's common-law wife, Beverly Ann Earhart, 41, was charged with murder in connection with the young man's death.

Earhart had originally reported Sabine as missing to the Surrey RCMP the same day his body was discovered on Annacis Island.

Despite Earhart's arrest, Delta police continued their investigation, focusing on additional suspects, said media liaison officer Const. Rick Peeler.

The murder charges come at the end of a three-month police investigation.

"Members of the Delta police criminal investigation branch worked extremely hard on this case. It was complex and involved several suspects. I'm very pleased with the work they've done," said CIB Staff Sgt. Lorne Pike.

Earhart, originally charged with second degree murder, has now been charged with first-degree murder. Also charged is Earhart's daughter, Ashleigh Hiebert, 19, Jeffrey Ashmore, 24 and Christopher Cyz, 23. The accused are being held in custody pending their next court appearance.

published on 05/17/2006 




Delta gun incidents more than doubled in '06

by Maureen Gulyas

Delta got a little more violent last year.

A review of police reports shows the number of gun incidents more than doubled in 2006.

In total, there were 13 gun incidents in Delta, with six of those involving shots fired or drive-by shootings.

In 2005, just three of the five gun incidents reported involved shots fired.

"We're seeing the number of gun incidents increase all over the Lower Mainland, so it's no surprise that Delta would have a certain percentage of that," said Delta police Supt. Brad Parker.

Police chief Jim Cessford said it concerns him the number of gun incidents is on the rise.

"In 2000, when we did Operation Bud-Out, we had a lot of gun incidents related to grow-ops. We got that under control, but now we are seeing it creep up again."

The chief said the gun calls are not necessarily associated to marijuana growing operations anymore.

"I think there are various reasons for it and that's a concern for us. At times we are catching people and that's the good news, but the bad news is these things are happening here."

Cessford referred to a violent armed robbery in Tsawwassen last week where a store clerk was hit with the butt of a gun. The two suspects got away with an undisclosed amount of jewelry.

Delta's criminal investigation branch has been kept busy.

The small unit of detectives is conducting three murder or attempted murder investigations, with one at the preliminary hearing stage and another about to go to court.

On Jan. 4, police charged two men in connection with a Dec. 29, 2005 shooting. It was a case of the suspects being in the worst possible place. Police, executing a warrant at a nearby residence, actually the saw the incident go down.

Alden Howard, 35, and Geordie Schick, 30, were charged with the attempted murder of a 30-year-old man. The case is currently before the courts.

A month later, the body of a man washed up on the shores of the Fraser River on Annacis Island. Police later identified the 26-year-old Surrey resident as Jeffery Sabine, reported missing a week earlier.

Police began their investigation and within days charged Sabine's common-law wife, Beverly Ann Earhart, 41, with his murder. Three months later, three more people were arrested and all of the accused have now been charged with first-degree murder.

"She (Earhart) was later released on bail along with her daughter (Ashleigh Hiebert). Christopher Cyz has also been released. The only one left in custody is Jeffery Ashmore," said S/Sgt. Lorne Pike, who supervises the criminal investigation branch.

Ashmore, 24, has tried to get bail twice.

In October, the shocking discovery of Manjit Panghali's burned body launched Delta's latest homicide investigation. Many officers have been pulled from other duties to help with the investigation.

The 30-year-old pregnant teacher was originally reported missing by her husband on Oct. 19; her body was found on Deltaport Way Oct. 23.

Detectives also worked on seven high-profile missing person cases. Most were found quickly, although one was found dead and one is still missing.

Brittany Stalman has been missing from her Crawford Drive home in North Delta since Nov. 13. The investigation into her disappearance continues.

Anthony John Bay's body washed ashore near the Tsawwassen ferry causeway in March, about a month after he was reported missing by his family.

A missing person's file takes a lot of work, Cessford said.

"We put a lot of effort into those cases. You can't just take the report and hope the person shows up. We have to be proactive."

In March, 20-year-old Delta resident Troy Loree was run down by a hit-and-run driver as he walked in the 6400-block of Scott Road. Delta police's traffic section is continuing to investigate the incident.

The ongoing investigations are taxing on resources, Parker said.

"I have officers on annual leave and they're taking calls at home. The effort is certainly there, but it's tough to continue at this level with the resources we have," he said. "We continue to get the most out of the least."

Cessford is calling for at least 10 more police officers, but so far, Delta council has been reluctant to give its approval.

published on 01/03/2007 





The Vancouver Sun

Canada's largest homicide unit uses an aggressive team approach to solve Lower Mainland murders

Kim Bolan
Vancouver Sun


Saturday, June 17, 2006


When Brenda Domingo was found raped, and stabbed more than 80 times, just metres away from her two-month-old daughter in November 2003, investigators from the fledgling Integrated Homicide Investigation Team pulled out all the stops to find her killer.

Teams of eight officers worked around the clock, poring over the murder scene in a Burnaby apartment building, locating bloody clothes discarded several blocks away, and interviewing every witness they could find.

"We were able to flush in team, after team, after team, after team," recalled RCMP Insp. Wayne Rideout, officer in charge of IHIT. "You would get these guys coming in day after day. Eight. Then another day, another eight. Then when they started to get tired, we threw another eight in overnight. And over the course of just three days, and with the help of Burnaby detachment, we were able to cover off and secure a very strong case."

William Turpin, Domingo's 57-year-old neighbour, was convicted of first-degree murder a year ago, and died in prison last September.

IHIT was just six months old at the time, an integrated team of 46 seasoned homicide cops, drawn from RCMP detachments and municipal forces across the Lower Mainland.

Several other jurisdictions have joined IHIT since it started in May 2003, making it the largest homicide unit in Canada, with 68 investigators.

One of the keys to IHIT's success is the pooling of information and intelligence. In a large urban area such as Greater Vancouver, killers don't respect municipal boundaries.

"The old way of doing business was if a body was found in Surrey, the killers were from Vancouver or even the victim was from Vancouver, it became Surrey's problem," Rideout said. "The attitude now amongst the partners of IHIT is, well, it is all our problem. The murderers may live in my town and have committed a murder elsewhere, but they are still a problem to me and my citizens."

Only the Delta and Vancouver police departments remain outside of the successful integrated team that is handling a record number of murders, with 24 so far this year. And Delta is considering coming on board.

That would leave the long-established Vancouver police homicide section -- which is also dealing with a soaring murder rate -- as the only independent squad in the Lower Mainland investigating killings alone.

Vancouver Insp. Tom McCluskie, who heads the unit, said he has just received approval to add two officers and hopes to get more.

He admits a record homicide rate, which is at 14 so far in 2006, is putting pressure on his detectives. But the stress is somewhat alleviated by VPD's ability to tap into other areas within the department when necessary -- the sex assault unit will get involved if a murder is related to a sexual offender. The arson squad has been deeply involved in the murders of five people in an east Vancouver townhouse fire last month.

"We have a dedicated, full-time, 16-member homicide unit with the availability to draw the resources any time from other units," McCluskie said. "We've got the ability to supplement, so we are quite self-sufficient."

If Solicitor-General John Les had his way, there would be even more integration of policing services around the province, particularly for serious crimes such as murder.

Les says he intends to have discussions with Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan and Vancouver Police Chief Jamie Graham about the success of IHIT and Vancouver's potential involvement in it.

"I don't want to be putting pressure on Jamie Graham or anybody else through the media, but it is safe to say I have yet to be persuaded that having two separate agencies in the Lower Mainland is a productive thing," Les said. "I am obviously a devoted fan of integration wherever possible and this is a good example of where that really works."

He said IHIT has had increased clearance rates, despite increasing numbers of murders since it started three years ago.

In its first year of operation, charges were laid in about 80 per cent of IHIT files. In 2004 that clearance rate stood at about 75 per cent, while it stands above 65 per cent for last year, with more charges expected in 2005 cases as investigations progress. Before IHIT was formed, the same regions had a three-year average charge-rate of about 50 per cent in murder cases.

"There is definitely a discussion that needs to be had in terms of IHIT when you look at some of the cases Vancouver has to deal with and how some of those cases have involved ... multiple jurisdictions," Les said. "I am going to have a discussion very soon with Sam Sullivan."

Rideout, who has been with IHIT since its formation, said the ability to pool resources and expertise from multiple forces and detachments is an amazing tool in working murder cases.

"Those stats, those clearance rates, they are up in the face of dramatically increased complexity, as well as double the homicides than they ever had before," he said.

Take the investigation into accused serial killer Charles Kembo, who is now facing first-degree murder charges in the deaths of his wife, Margaret, step-daughter Rita Yeung, girlfriend Siu Yin Ma and former business partner Arden Samuel.

The discovery of one body led police to Kembo, who was charged last summer and has not yet gone to trial.

"And because we are centralized and responsible for the whole district, we were able to make links to other ones that no one even knew about. It is a great example," Rideout said.

For smaller city police departments, such as White Rock, Port Moody and West Vancouver, IHIT is like an insurance policy. Without the resources or need for a dedicated murder squad, the municipalities call in IHIT when there is a homicide.

"They fund into IHIT based on their crime statistics and population and they reap the benefit of 68 investigators -- most of whom are highly experienced when something happens in their jurisdictions," Rideout said.

"We've seen cases where in order to effectively take on a homicide case, a detachment or a police agency has to take away detectives from their sex crimes unit and their drug sections and that goes into the investigation for weeks or months."

Delta, which has had one murder this year in which charges have been laid, is seriously looking at IHIT.

"We are exploring our options," said Staff Sgt. Lorne Pike, head of the criminal investigations branch. "We have to look at the overall picture."

A single murder case, such as the high-profile slaying in Vancouver this year of Surrey resident Tracey Guthrie, can cost a police force hundreds of thousands of dollars. And it can take investigators away from other areas of responsibility for long periods of time.

The 30-year-old Surrey resident was found beaten to death in bushes beside Vancouver City Hall Jan. 30 after wandering away from VGH, where she had been a patient.

Vancouver is still pulling out all the stops in the arson fire that ended the lives of Adela Etibako, three of her children, and 17-year-old Ashley Singh.

"There is a bit of a disturbing trend. Our numbers are up. We are saying we certainly can't handle the current situation with what we've got ... We have to wait and see what happens for the rest of the year."

But to join IHIT would cost the Vancouver Police Department more detectives than the number currently allocated to its homicide unit.

"There was a suggestion that we would need more members to fit into the IHIT model. Certainly we can't support those kinds of figures," McCluskie said. "Where it makes sense for a lot of people is the smaller areas which may have one murder a year."

Rideout has just been doing the circuit of Lower Mainland municipal councils to give a report on IHIT's work.

"From the operational perspective, we are getting great support from the municipalities," said Rideout, who works out of IHIT headquarters in Surrey.

Rideout stresses that municipal forces are equal partners in IHIT and hold senior positions. IHIT is broken into eight-person teams that take on murder cases as they happen. Unfortunately that has been with more frequency. Currently, IHIT is opening a murder file every 5.8 days.

"These are exceptional people that work very, very hard and they put in tons of long hours.... We jokingly call it the four-on, three-on shift. They work long hours and they are dedicated. They are not driven by money. They can make more money working on a movie set or doing security," Rideout said.

"It is a calling more than anything. They want to be successful. They want to find some resolution for the family. They want to catch the bad guy. You need a certain kind of personality to make that happen."

And the team also gets involved with attempted murders where a victim may die. That way, if the case turns into another murder statistic, the evidence has all been collected in the immediate aftermath of the crime.

IHIT is so successful that other jurisdictions, such as Alberta, have looked at it as a potential model for duplication.

"This is the way policing is moving -- recognition of the lack of boundaries," Rideout said. "Nationally, it is fairly well-known."

Terrorism charges recently laid in Ontario after an extensive investigation involving several agencies shows the success of integration and cooperation.

"By all accounts, [the investigation involved] different agencies with different mandates working together closely," Rideout said. "When you get CSIS and the RCMP working that closely together, it is a big success."

Even though Vancouver is not an IHIT partner, there is a lot of cooperation between the two agencies.

"We meet with Vancouver on a regular basis. We have meetings of the plainclothes sections and we share information so if I have got something going here that affects them or vice versa, they know what I am doing and I know what they are doing," Rideout said.

Both IHIT and Vancouver practise what they call "front-end loading" -- pouring as many resources as possible into an investigation right at the beginning, when the chances of securing evidence are better.

"Obviously the first 48 to 72 hours of any murder investigation are essential to us," McCluskie said. "So there may be as many as eight to 10 officers out on the initial call until it is brought under control, then it goes back to the four members who work on a team."

He was reluctant to provide clearance rates for Vancouver for the past two years, saying too many cases are still active and may have charges laid shortly.

"The stats wouldn't be very accurate for the last couple of years because we still have several active investigations from last year," said McCluskie, who took charge of the homicide squad last October.

McCluskie and Rideout both said the region has grown up with a wide range of murders, from organized crime hits to gang disputes, to drug-related slayings, sexual predator killings and domestic disputes that end in murder.

Sometimes people just disappear and are presumed to have been killed, further complicating investigations.

That is what happened when Jason Garrow vanished just before Christmas, 2004.

IHIT got involved because there was some intelligence that the 32-year-old crane operator had met with foul play.

"We recovered his remains in the backyard of a property... when no one even knew he was murdered," Rideout said. "We recovered him and charged a suspect."

One of IHIT's early cases is going to trial next fall. In investigating the Coquitlam murder of Peter Derksen in July, 2003, IHIT members located suspect David Castagner and soon linked him to a suspected murder from 30 years earlier.

A case was made against Castagner, who is now facing charges in Derksen's shooting, as well as the disappearance of Noel Richmond in the fall of 1973. His body has never been found.

Solicitor-General Les is impressed by what he has seen so far.

"What they are doing is working. And I hear a lot of enthusiasm from the detachments that are involved in this IHIT team and that is important, too. When they see results that emerge like that, it has a lot to do with shoring up their morale," Les said.

"As we continue to integrate and as we continue to see the results of that integration, hopefully over time you would expect we would get ahead of the curve and start to drive down the actual crime rate. That is obviously the objective. It is not just high clearance rates, which are tremendous in and of themselves, but the deterrent effect that should result eventually."

kbolan@png.canwest.com

A BLOODY TOLL:

There has been a record number of murders in the Lower Mainland in 2006, where three separate homicide units handle their own cases. Here are the statistics for each:

IHIT's 2006 murder list:

Jan. 8: Baljinder Singh Atwal, 22, in New Westminster. No charges laid.

Jan. 11: Ravinder Singh Dhanjal, 26, at home in Surrey. No charges.

Jan. 13: Gurpreet Singh Dhaliwal, 24, gunned down in Surrey. No charges laid.

Jan. 20: Brian Sinclair, 29, fatally injured in Coquitlam. No charges laid.

Jan. 21: Taiwanese language student Shaxion Zhang shot in Burnaby. A warrant was issued for student Lee Chia Weng, but he had fled the country.

Jan. 28: Garry Glen Harder, 55, in Surrey. No charges laid.

Feb. 9: Rodger Luu, 20, of Vancouver, stabbed in Aberdeen Mall in Richmond. No charges laid.

Feb. 10: Anthony Robert Dakota, found in a burned-out home in Chilliwack. No charges laid.

Feb. 13: Harminder Singh Khosah, killed at his Surrey home. Charged is 22-year-old Harinder Girn.

Feb. 17: Jesse Penner, 22, stabbed at a house party in Port Coquitlam. A 16-year-old is charged with second-degree murder.

Feb. 21: Joey Anthony Mendoza, 20, found in an Abbotsford ditch. No charges laid.

March 3: UBC student Yulien Limantoro shot in Surrey. No charges laid.

March 3: Charndev Tumber shot in Abbotsford. No charges laid.

April 3: Shawn Thomas Kidd, 26, shot in Surrey. Shawn Yassim Ossman, 25, charged with second-degree murder.

April 8: Remains of Chelsey Acorn, 14, found in a shallow grave near Hope. No charges laid.

April 17: Glen Alexander Anthony, 25, in Surrey. No charges laid.

May 1: Matthew Mark Rheaume, 39, an associate of the Hells Angels, shot at home in Burnaby. No charges laid.

May 1: Margaret Jamieson, 79, shot with her husband Robert, 82, in their Burnaby home. Ruled a murder-suicide.

May 12: Sukhjit Singh Johal, 30, dies after a fight with a co-worker in Richmond. Gurpal Brar, 27, charged with second-degree murder.

May 20: Margaret Redford, 47, found in a creek in Langley. No charges laid.

May 23: Joshua Goos, 29, shot to death in West Vancouver. Sasan Ansari, 27, charged with second-degree murder.

June 4: Lorna Ulmer, 15, of Surrey, killed in Coquitlam. Her boyfriend, Brian Kenneth Widman, 21, charged with second-degree murder.

June 5: Unidentified woman's remains found in woods in Richmond. Not yet ruled a murder.

June 7: Skeletal remains found in Abbotsford. Not yet ruled a murder, but IHIT consulted.

Vancouver Police

2006 murder list:

Jan. 30: Tracy Guthrie, 30, beaten to death. Steve Vezina, 31, charged with first-degree murder.

Feb. 13: Mark Allen Bowe, 40, shot in the head near Abbott and Hastings in an apparent turf war between drug gangs. No charges laid.

March 2: Clifford Lewis Johnson, 41, stabbed. A 21-year-old has been charged.

March 5: Gilbert Herman Pete, 43, stabbed in a fight. A man is charged with second-degree murder.

April 2: Jack Maurice, 54, hit on the head with a blunt instrument. He died four days later. No charges laid.

April 6: Evan Edgar Garber shot to death as he tries to tackle an armed robber. No charges laid.

May 3: Alex Cayer, 47, found dismembered in a duffel bag in East Vancouver. No charges laid.

May 5: Tommy Ho Sing Chan shot on the dance floor of Richard's on Richard. No charges laid.

May 8: A full-term newborn boy found in a dumpster. No charges laid.

May 15: Adela Etibako, children Edita, 12, Benedicta, 9, Stephan, 8, and family friend Ashley Singh, 17, die when their home is torched. No charges laid.

Delta Police

2006 murder list:

Feb. 10: Jeffrey Sabine, 26, washes up on Annacis Island. His 41-year-old common-law-wife, Beverly Ann Earhart, charged with first-degree murder, as were her daughter, Ashleigh Hiebert, 19, Jeffrey Ashmore, 24 and Christopher Cyz, 23.

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

Man pleads guilty to

 accessory to murder

The Delta Optimist
Published: Saturday, December 15, 2007

 
One of four people charged in the murder of Surrey resident Jeffery Sabine was sentenced to four years in prison this week for his role in the death of the 26-year-old man.

Originally charged with first-degree murder, 24-year-old Christopher Cyz pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and interference with a dead body Wednesday in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver.

The Crown asked the court to impose a five-year prison term, while the defence wanted a conditional sentence.

Sabine's body was found Feb. 10, 2006 on the shoreline of the Fraser River on Annacis Island.

Three people, including a mother and daughter, still face charges of first-degree murder.

Beverly Ann Earhart, 42, was the common-law partner of Sabine. Also charged were her daughter, Ashleigh Hiebert, 20, and Jeffrey Ashmore, 25.

Earhart and Hiebert have been released pending an upcoming trial, while Ashmore remains in custody.

The court was to rule yesterday on whether to let Ashmore out on bail.

Earhart originally reported Sabine missing to the Surrey RCMP, claiming he was suicidal.

The missing person's report was made on the same day Sabine's body was discovered by the Delta police.




© The Delta Optimist 2007 

South Delta Leader

Guilty plea in killing
Published: May 27, 2008 1:00 PM

Updated: May 27, 2008 1:57 PM A 20-year-old Surrey woman has pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder her mother’s boyfriend.

Ashleigh Hiebert entered the plea earlier this month in New Westminster Supreme Court.

Hiebert was originally charged with first-degree murder in relation to the February 2006 death of 26-year-old Jeffrey James Sabine, the Surrey resident whose body washed ashore at Annacis Island in Delta.

Charges of first-degree murder are still pending against two other people in the case—Beverly Ann Earhart, 42, and 25-year-old Jeffery Ashmore. Their trial is scheduled to start in October.

Earhart reported Sabine missing, telling Surrey RCMP that her boyfriend had gone for a walk and never returned.

A week later, Delta Police retrieved a body that washed ashore along the Fraser River near the 1500 block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island. It was identified as Sabine.

Following an autopsy, Earhart was arrested and charged.

Delta Police made additional arrests in the case after a three-month investigation. Christopher Cyz, 24, Hiebert and Ashmore were all charged with first-degree murder.

Two of the three have since pled guilty to lesser offences.

Last December, Cyz pled guilty to being an accessory after the fact to murder and was sentenced to four years in jail. Hiebert is still to be sentenced. She will be back in court May 28 to fix a date for sentencing.

dweir@surreyleader.com

The Vancouver Sun

Woman Pleads Guilty to Helping Arrange Murder-Friday October 17, 2008

Written by Neal Hall

 
Nineteen years old when her mother's 26-year-old common-law husband died, Ashleigh Hiebert has pleaded guilty to helping arrange his murder.

She now is 21 years old and faces a life sentence in prison for conspiracy to commit murder.

She was originally charged with first-degree murder.

Her sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 10 in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster before Justice Eric Rice.
Her 43-year-old mother's first-degree murder trial starts a week later.

She was originally charged with second-degree murder.

The body of Jeffrey Sabine was found in February 2006 by a passerby on the Annacis Island shoreline. He had been reported missing a few days before.

Delta police originally treated his death as a suspicious potential homicide. An autopsy confirmed he was a victim of foul play. Police did not release details of how he was killed.

Also charged with first-degree murder were Hiebert's boyfriend, Jeffrey Ashmore, 26, and Christopher Cyz, 25. Cyz pleaded guilty last December to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to four years in prison.

Young woman faces life sentencing for plotting to kill mother's common-law husband
Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, October 16, 2008

New Westminster - A 21-year-old woman is facing a life sentence in prison for conspiring to murder her mother's common-law husband.

Ashleigh Hiebert, who was 19 at the time of the alleged crime, was originally charged with first-degree murder but has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder.

Her sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 10 in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster before Justice Eric Rice. 




The Crown alleges that Hiebert was a go-between in the alleged murder plot of 26-year-old Jeffrey Sabine, whose body was found by a passerby on Feb. 10, 2006 on the shore of the Fraser River in the 1500-block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island in Delta.

The deceased was the common-law husband of Hiebert's 43-year-old mother, who is facing trial next month on a charge of first-degree murder. Jury selection for her trial is set for Nov. 17.

Sabine had been reported missing a few days before the discovery of his body. He had lived in the Guildford area of Surrey.

Delta police originally treated his death as a suspicious potential homicide. An autopsy confirmed he was a victim of foul play.

Police did not release details of how he was killed. Sabine's common-law wife was originally charged with second-degree murder, which was later upgraded to first-degree murder after a three-month police investigation.

Also charged with first-degree murder were Hiebert's boyfriend, Jeffrey Ashmore, 26, and Christopher Cyz, 25.

Cyz pleaded guilty last December to being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to four years in prison.

nhall@vancouversun.com

Woman faces life for role in murder plot

By Surrey Now October 28, 2008


A 21-year-old Surrey woman is facing a life sentence after pleading guilty to conspiring to murder her mother's common-law husband.

Ashleigh Hiebert, who was 19 at the time of the alleged crime, was originally charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jeffrey Sabine. She later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder.

Hiebert's sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 10 in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster.

Sabine's body was found in February 2006 on the shore of the Fraser River in the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island. The Crown alleges that Hiebert was a go-between in the alleged murder plot of Sabine, 26.

Sabine was the common-law husband of Hiebert's mother Beverly Earhart, 43. Earhart stands charged with first-degree murder and is set to stand trial. Jury selection for her trial is set for Nov. 17.

Also charged with first-degree murder were Hiebert's boyfriend, Jeffrey Ashmore, 26, and Christopher Cyz, 25.

© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.

Surrey man gets life sentence for killing teenage girlfriend's stepfather


By NEAL HALL, Vancouver Sun April 28, 2009

METRO VANCOUVER - A 26-year-old Surrey man has been convicted of the first-degree murder of his girlfriend's stepfather.

Jeffrey Ashmore was convicted by a jury after a trial in New Westminster for the murder of Jeffrey Sabine, 26.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lance Bernard imposed a mandatory life sentence with no parole for 25 years on Ashmore.

Sabine's body was found in February 2006 on the shore of the Fraser River in the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island.

He had been reported missing by his common-law wife, Beverly Earhart, 43, who is also accused of plotting the first-degree murder of her common-law husband, Sabine. She is scheduled to stand trial at the end of August.

Earhart's daughter, Ashleigh Hiebert, who was 19 at the time of the crime and now is 21, was originally charged with first-degree murder for assisting her boyfriend, Ashmore, but later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. She will be sentenced May 15.

The Crown alleges Hiebert was a go-between in the plot to kill Sabine, who was strangled to death.

A police undercover operation obtained a confession from Ashmore.

The trial judge imposed a ban on some evidence because of the pending murder trial.

A fourth person originally charged with first-degree murder, Christopher Cyz, 25, pleaded guilty to being an accesory after the fact for helping move Sabine's body. He received a four-year sentence..

Sabine's mother, Diane Butterfield, said she was relieved after attending Ashmore's trial, which ended Monday with the jury returning its verdict after about two hours of deliberations.

"It lifted a load off my shoulders," the mother said in an interview.

"It's been a long three years. I ended up in hospital for a week because of the stress."

Butterfield, who lives in Manitoba, said she initially thought her son was missing, then was told by police that he had been murdered.

"It"s like living in a nightmare," the mother said.

She credited the police and Crown prosecutor Wendy Stephen for doing a "fantastic job" in getting justice for Sabine's murder.

nhall@vancouversun.com

Young woman sent to prison for role in 2006 Metro Vancouver murder


By Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun May 19, 2009

METRO VANCOUVER – A 22-year-old woman was sentenced Tuesday to a three-year prison term for her role in the murder of her mother’s common-law husband.

Ashleigh Hiebert was originally 19 when charged with the first-degree murder of Jeffery Sabine, 26, whose body was found in February 2006 on the shore of the Fraser River in the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island.

He had been reported missing by his common-law wife, Beverly Earhart, 43, who is also accused of plotting the first-degree murder of her common-law husband.

She is scheduled to appear in court June 30 to set a date for a jury trial.

Earhart attended court Tuesday for the sentencing of her daughter, Hiebert, who was dressed in a pink jogging suit.

The trial judge, B.C. Supreme Court Justice James Williams, imposed a ban on publication on the proceedings.

Hiebert, originally charged with first-degree murder, earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. Her boyfriend, Jeffrey Ashmore, 26, received a mandatory life sentence without parole for 25 years after he was convicted by a jury last month.

A fourth person originally charged with first-degree murder, Christopher Cyz, 25, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact for helping move Sabine's body.

He received a four-year sentence.

The murder victim’s mother, Diane Butterfield, was disappointed by Tuesday's sentence. “She should have got more than that,” said the mother, who lives in Manitoba. “I think she should have got at least 10 years. Jeff's sister is upset about it. Everybody's upset about it.”

nhall@vancouversun.com

Daughter given three-year sentence for role in murder of mom's spouse

Mother awaits trial for plotting murder of husband

By Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun May 20, 2009

A 22-year-old woman was sentenced Tuesday to a three-year prison term for her role in the murder of her mother's common-law husband.

Ashleigh Hiebert was 19 when she was originally charged with first-degree murder of Jeffery Sabine, 26, whose body was found in February 2006 on the shore of the Fraser River in the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue on Annacis Island.

Hiebert earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit the murder of Sabine, who was reported missing by his common-law wife, Beverly Earhart, 43, who is also accused of plotting the first-degree murder of her common-law husband.

She is scheduled to appear in court June 30 to set a date for a jury trial.

Earhart, who is on bail, attended the sentencing of her daughter, who was dressed in a pink jogging suit.

The trial judge, B.C. Supreme Court Justice James Williams, imposed a ban on publication on the proceedings.

Hiebert's boyfriend, Jeffrey Ashmore, 26, received a mandatory life sentence without parole for 25 years after he was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder last month.

A fourth person originally charged with first-degree murder, Christopher Cyz, 25, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact for helping move Sabine's body. He received a four-year sentence.

The murder victim's mother, Diane Butterfield, was relieved after Ashmore was convicted last month.

"It's been a long three years," the mother said at the time. "I ended up in hospital for a week because of the stress."

Butterfield, who lives in Manitoba, credited the police and Crown prosecutor Wendy Stephen for doing a "fantastic job" of getting justice for Sabine's murder.

nhall@vancouversun.com

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Woman Convicted of Murder Gets Life Sentence

A Surrey woman has been found guilty of first degree murder in the strangulation of her common law husband

April 23, 2010

Woman convicted of murder, gets life sentence
A Surrey woman has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the strangulation of her common-law husband.
By Vancouver Sun April 23, 2010 Be the first to post a comment
A Surrey woman has been found guilty of first-degree murder in the strangulation of her common-law husband.

A B.C. Supreme Court jury in New Westminster delivered its verdict April 15 after roughly a day of deliberation. Beverly Earhart, 45, will spend the rest of her life in prison with no eligibility to apply for parole for 25 years, for her role in the February 2006 murder of Jeffery Sabine, 26.

Sabine's mother, Dianne Butterfield, who lives in Manitoba, said she is pleased with the verdict. "I'm walking on air," she said.

Sabine's body was found on the shore of the Fraser River in the 1600-block of Cliveden Avenue.

Earhart was one of four Surrey residents involved in the crime. Earhart's daughter, Ashliegh Hiebert, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in her stepfather's death and was sentenced to three years in prison. She was 19 when he was killed.

A jury convicted her boyfriend, Jeffrey Ashmore, 26, of first-degree murder. He received the mandatory life sentence. Christopher Cyz, 25, received a four-year sentence for helping to move the victim's body.

Cyz had pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact.

The Vancouver Sun 

Jeffrey Sabine, 26, was strangled to death with a video cable inside an apartment in Surrey on Feb. 8, 2006.
Photograph by: submitted, for Surrey NOW 

SURREY - Not the kind of call mom wants on Mother's Day. Moreover, one call Jeffrey Alan Ashmore, 24, wishes he'd never placed.

While in Delta Police custody, after being arrested for the murder of a Surrey man, Ashmore spilled his role in the killing to his mom after a police officer suggested he call her up from lockup for Mother's Day. Police recorded the call, to use against him.

Ashmore appealed his first-degree murder conviction for the Feb. 8, 2006 strangulation of Jeffrey Sabine, 26, on grounds that this, as well as statements he made to undercover cops during a "Mr. Big" scenario, and other statements to police, violated his Charter rights.

During the trial, Ashmore's lawyer argued that his client's detention while in police lockup over a weekend infringed on his Charter rights and therefore his statement to police, reenactment and call to his mom should have been excluded.

But Justice David Frankel, of B.C.'s Court of Appeal, dismissed the appeal on Monday, after a hearing in Vancouver. Justices David Tysoe and Kathryn Neilson concurred.

"I think a reasonable person, informed of all the circumstances, would find that admission of that re-enactment, not its exclusion, best serves the long-term interests of the administration of justice," Frankel reasoned.

During his trial, after which a jury convicted him, Ashmore didn't deny he had a role in the killing, but claimed it wasn't planned or deliberate.

Sabine had been the common-law spouse of Beverly Earhart, whose daughter, Ashliegh Hiebert, had been dating Ashmore.

The Crown's theory was that Earhart, 41, wanted out of her relationship with Sabine and concocted a plan with Ashmore to kill him and make it look like a robbery.

Ashmore, aided by Christopher Cyz, strangled Sabine to death with a video cable inside an apartment in Surrey, took his body to Annacis Island and threw it into the Fraser.

Cyz pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, Hiebert pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and Earhart was convicted of first-degree murder, but she's appealing that.

After Sabine's body was found, Delta Police interviewed the four and after noting discrepancies, Insp. Lorne Pike interviewed Ashmore again.

Ashmore had blamed the killing on Earhart and claimed he only helped dispose of the body. After showing police the trash bin where he'd thrown the wire and gloves, he was arrested for murder but was later released without charge.

When he was out, investigators used a Mr. Big scenario - where an undercover cop posing as a crime boss tries to win the target's trust in hopes of obtaining a confession - and Ashmore told him how we strangled Sabine.

During his appeal, Ashmore's lawyer argued that the Mr. Big scenario was more prejudicial than probative,

The court heard that after he was arrested for first-degree murder, Ashmore was told he might be monitored by audio-video surveillance in custody, except when speaking with his lawyer in private.

While Ashmore was in his cell, Pike played a video clip of him confessing to the undercover cop that he helped murder Sabine and he agreed to participate in on-scene re-enactments of how Sabine was killed, removed from the apartment, and how his body was dumped. On the way back to Delta police headquarters, Pike suggested that Ashmore call his mom, as the next day was Mother's Day. During the recorded call to her, Ashmore admitted his involvement in the murder.

He denied that a lawyer had warned him to assume the police would be listening to all his conversations, except ones he was having with his lawyer.

His appeal lawyer argued, unsuccessfully, that the legal advice Ashmore had received was constitutionally deficient.


tzytaruk@thenownewspaper.com

© Copyright (c) Surrey Now 
 

Many thanks to the "Super Team" of the Delta Police Serious Crimes Investigations Unit for all of their months of hard work to solve Jeff's homicide case.  You do more than just work everyday, you care; and there are not enough words to express our gratitude...