Police still looking for South Asian suspects in 2011 Devon Allaire-Bell homicide

Devon Allaire-Bell

SEVEN years after 19-year-old Devon Allaire-Bell of Surrey was stabbed to death in the school yard of Frank Hurt Secondary School in Surrey on April 24, 2011, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) continues to investigate his murder and is seeking the community’s help in identifying the South Asian suspects (see surveillance photographs).

On Sunday, April 24, 2011, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Surrey RCMP received a report that two males had been stabbed and were at the rear of Frank Hurt High School located in the 13800 block of 77 Avenue.

Once patrol officers arrived on scene they found two male victims of a stabbing. One of the males was unconscious and non-responsive. Officers on scene immediately began to perform life-saving measures while waiting for BC Ambulance Service.

BC Ambulance Service transported both victims to a local area trauma hospital. One of the males, Allaire-Bell, passed away from the injuries sustained in the stabbing. The other male was treated in hospital for his injuries and remains in hospital with serious injuries.

Police learned that the two victims were known to each other and were at the location of the altercation drinking and playing soccer when they were apparently approached by three males. A verbal altercation began, three other males joined the first three and a physical assault ensued during which the two men were stabbed. Investigators believe that the suspects fled southwest on foot through a greenbelt that leads onto 76th Avenue.

The suspects were all described as young South Asian males, dressed in dark clothing thought to be approximately 20 years of age.

At the time, IHIT said that investigators had reviewed video that came from the school and it had assisted them in determining some of what occurred that night.

Police released a portion of the video that depicted five males leaving the park. Some of the males were dressed in darker clothing, one was in a white track suit and one other appeared to be wearing a grey track suit. The two light-colored track suits are very distinctive and investigators felt that someone would know who these people are. Persons involved in the altercation with Allaire-Bell may have suffered injuries as a result as well. Police stressed that there could be persons in this group that did not do anything wrong and that investigators wanted to speak with these individuals.

Investigators also learned that there was a group of people who regularly congregated in and around the wooded area behind the school. It had been reported that this group had been known to harass and intimidate people walking through the area. Police were interested in finding out who these people were.

During the initial days after the murder, police conducted a very thorough, comprehensive search in the fields and wooded area behind the school. Additionally, homicide investigators conducted searches in nearby garbage dumpsters and trash receptacles located at local businesses. All of these searches netted a great deal of evidence that could well be linked to the homicide.

“We are not able to specifically state what evidence we found. We can say, we are pleased with what was found and we will be sending a number of submissions to the lab for analysis,” Cpl. Dale Carr, then-spokesperson for IHIT, said at the time.

Investigators were also looking to speak to the two adult males thought to be in their mid-twenties that had a brief encounter with first responding police officers on the night of this incident. Police encountered the males as the officers were moving through the bush area to look for the stabbing victims. The males aided the officers by providing direction for the officers.

 

 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the IHIT Information Line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448), or by email at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Should you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).