British Columbia Crime: Crown Closes Double Murder Case

With one chance left to address the jury, prosecutors argued that Kane Carter’s actions after two people were killed in Vancouver left them in no doubt that he was the one who fired the fatal shots.

Carter, 28, is charged with the second-degree murder of 15-year-old Alfred Wong — an innocent bystander — and 23-year-old Kevin Whiteside — an alleged gang member — as well as the aggravated assault of Shaiful Khondoker, another innocent bystander who was shot but survived.

On January 13, 2018, Wong, a high school senior from Coquitlam, was in the backseat of his family’s car when the teen became involved in a reckless shootout on East Broadway, near Ontario Street.

Police initially believed Whiteside was the target of the shooting, but later said he was the one who incited the deadly violence.

Prosecutors say Whiteside was in the area the night of the killings to kill 28-year-old Matthew Navas-Rivas, who was eating at an Indochine restaurant.

Prosecutors believe Carter worked in a “middle management” position for a dial-a-dope operation run by Navis-Revis under the alias “Elijah,” and that he was parked nearby that night to keep watch in case anything went wrong.

As Navas-Rivas left the restaurant, Whiteside allegedly shot him. According to the prosecution, it was then Carter who fired the fatal bullets.

The prosecutor reminded the jury that evidence had been presented to them showing that Carter had changed his telephone number the next day and that he had admitted flying to Ontario a week later.

“We say this is yet another example of Mr. Carter taking active steps to distance himself from the shooting,” said District Attorney Dan Blumenkrans.

Recordings of phone calls Carter made from various prisons were also played to jurors for a second time, including a conversation at Ontario’s Central East Correctional Centre in June 2019, while he was incarcerated for a separate offence.

According to the prosecution, the call was made the day after Vancouver police officers traveled to the jail to question Carter.

During part of the phone call, Carter is heard saying, “They have no witnesses, no one to point me at the scene, they have no video of me hitting anyone,” he is heard saying to an unidentified man.

An expert witness in slang and jargon stated that to “hit” meant to shoot.

“He’s not saying I didn’t do it or that I wasn’t there,” Blumenkrans said.

“He’s basically saying the police have no evidence that I did it,” he continued.

“Wouldn’t you expect him to somehow deny being the shooter in these calls?” Blumenkrans asked the jury

The burgundy van

Earlier in the trial, a former customer, who now worked for the drug line, testified about the inner workings of the operation.

A burgundy Pontiac Montana van was used to deliver drugs.

The man said he was in the van on the day of the murders when he received a call from Elijah, telling him to return the vehicle immediately.

The jury was shown video footage of a van of the same make and model parked on Ontario Street, south of East Broadway, at the time of the shooting.

Crown is convinced that Carter fired the shots from that van that killed Wong and Whiteside.

Detectives later found a burgundy Pontiac Montana van in the parking garage of the Surrey apartment building where Carter was renting an apartment in his brother’s name, according to prosecutors.

A burgundy van found at the murder scene and a burgundy van of the same make and model found at Kane Carter’s apartment are the same vehicle, the prosecutor’s office said.

Carter has admitted that both a handkerchief with his blood on it and his DNA were found in the van in the parking garage.

A Vancouver police officer said three shell casings and gun residue were also found in the vehicle.

Crown also pointed out that there were “identical” physical characteristics between the van at the crime scene and the van in the parking garage.

This meant the headlights dimmed, there was a green ‘new driver’ sticker on the back and the left rear tire had a black rim that didn’t match the rest.

On Thursday it is the defense’s turn to address the jury.