Two people have been sentenced for the homicide of a Maple Ridge man in 2023.
Maple Ridge residents Kimberley Buitenweg and Joseph McWilliams were both sentenced to five years in prison on Monday, Dec. 8, for the manslaughter of Surinderjit “Jack” Singh.
The court also imposed a 10-year firearms prohibition on the pair.
Singh, 55, was discovered dead at 7:30 a.m. on March 4, 2023, in the 21800-block of 122 Avenue in Maple Ridge.
Police and BC Emergency Health Services were called to the scene where they pronounced Singh deceased.
His death was deemed suspicious at the time and after consultation with BC Coroners Service, IHIT took over the investigation.
IHIT continued to work closely with the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment, the Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS), and the BC Coroners Service to further the investigation.
Charges of second-degree murder were laid against 33-year-old Buitenweg and 44-year-old McWilliams on May 12, 2023.
However, earlier this year, on May 2 and May 27, both Buitenweg and McWilliams pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter, respectively.
“This was a tragic incident that has left a lasting impact on Mr. Singh’s family and friends,” said Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT.
“IHIT acknowledges the hard work and collaboration between our investigators and our policing partners that brought this case to a conclusion.”