Homicide police are asking the public to help identify two male suspects in connection with a West Vancouver murder.
On Friday, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team released a statement confirming the victim as Francis Este, who was attacked on the afternoon of March 21 in the underground parking lot of an apartment building on the 2100 block of Argyle Avenue.
At 4:48 p.m., West Vancouver police responded to reports of a man suffering from serious injuries at the address, and officers arrived on scene soon afterwards. They found Este suffering from life-threatening injuries resulting from multiple stab wounds, police said. First responders attempted life-saving measures, but he died of his injuries at the scene.
Witnesses reported seeing a suspect fleeing the area on foot, eastbound on Argyle Avenue, IHIT said.
IHIT said that Este, a former doctor, was not known to police. “We are releasing Dr. Este’s identification in an effort to build a timeline of his activities leading up to the homicide,” reads the statement.
“IHIT has advanced the investigation and through CCTV review, two suspects have been established. Investigators are focusing on identifying both of these males and determining what role they have in this homicide.”
If you recognize either of these two men, contact IHIT immediately, said Sgt. Timothy Pierotti of IHIT.
“We believe this was a targeted incident that may be related to other events involving Dr. Este throughout the past few months,” Pierotti said. “Anyone with information about these previous events are asked to contact IHIT.”
Speaking to the North Shore News, Pierotti said that while he couldn’t get into specifics, “what I can say is that those that know Dr. Este, and that are part of these events, will know what I'm referring to.”
Regarding the CCTV images of the suspects, he said they were collected in the same area of the crime scene around the time of the murder. Investigators were able to link the suspects to the crime by either something observed in the video, or in speaking with witnesses, Pierotti said.
No weapon found, IHIT says
“Based on the evidence collected … I don't think it's a random attack,” he said. “I don't think that Mr. Este had gone into that underground and randomly bumped into somebody who murdered a stranger…. The person who committed this crime, we believe, intended to commit this crime.”
Pierotti added that no weapon has been found, and there are no further details at this time about what happened during the attack.
Is it unusual for someone not involved in gang activity to be the victim of a targeted hit?
“Certainly, these things do happen, where someone who's not involved in the gang life or in criminal activity becomes the target of a homicide,” Pierotti said. “We do see it happen every year.”
IHIT treats every case individually, and investigators speak with as many people as possible who knew the victim to determine why a murder would happen.
Pierotti said he couldn’t talk to specifics, “but what I can say having been a homicide investigator for the last half decade here, we will always contact the family as soon as possible and take statements from them if they're willing to provide them.
“We always look for people who can give us insight into a victim's background. Often the family will have a good idea of who may want to hurt somebody or where they've been who they've been associating with lately. So I'm sure that the investigators out there have spoken to as many people within the family [as possible] and Dr. Este’s associates,” he said.
The homicide team is continuing to work with West Vancouver police, and is pursuing all potential avenues of investigation. Pierotti said investigators are canvassing several areas presently and in the coming days, as well as collecting evidence and identifying witnesses.
IHIT is asking anyone with information about this murder to contact IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-4448 or by email at [email protected].
