ON July 19, 2017, a 13-year old girl was found deceased in Central Park. The victim had been reported missing less than two hours earlier from her home in Burnaby. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) took conduct of the investigation and continued to work closely with the Burnaby RCMP, supported by the BC RCMP’s integrated teams and policing resources from all over the Lower Mainland.

IHIT says it conducted an exhaustive investigation utilizing a full array of conventional and non-conventional techniques to identify and eliminate over 2,000 persons of interest in relation to the murder. Through forensic evidence, 34-year-old Ibrahim Ali was determined to be the sole suspect.

Ali was arrested on September 7, 2018, and was charged with first-degree murder. He was found guilty on December 8, 2023.

On June 7, 2024, Ali was sentenced to imprisonment for life without parole eligibility for 25 years.

“This was a complex investigation that had a profound effect on the entire province,” says Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, Officer-in-Charge of IHIT. “It’s a result of the unwavering dedication of the investigative team, supported by all of IHIT and the BC RCMP, whose relentless pursuit of the evidence led them to using cutting-edge forensic technology, which brought us to today’s successful conclusion.”