ON December 19, 2021, at around 11:40 a.m., Burnaby RCMP responded to the Metrotown Mall at 4800 Kingsway for multiple calls of assistance. Frontline officers arrived and found one victim with stab wounds who was then transported to hospital, later succumbing to her injuries.
The victim was identified as 25-year-old Melissa Blimkie from North Vancouver.
Following several weeks of investigation, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) attained sufficient evidence for charges. On January 19, 2022, the BC Prosecution Service approved a charge of second-degree degree murder against 31-year-old Everton Downey. The two had been in a relationship for some time prior to the homicide.
On August 21, 2025, Downey was found guilty of second-degree murder after a trial in B.C. Supreme Court in relation to the homicide of Blimkie.
On February 13, 2026, Downey, now 35 years old, was sentenced by Associate Chief Justice Heather J. Holmes to life in prison, with a parole ineligibility period of 12 years. The court also imposed a lifetime firearms prohibition and a DNA order.
“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. “IHIT would like to thank the Burnaby RCMP, the BC Coroners Service, and the BC Prosecution Service for their work throughout this investigation. Our thoughts are with Melissa’s family and friends at this time.”
