A Maple Ridge neighbourhood was horrified when a couple was murdered in their home, allegedly by their neighbour, who then proceeded to commit suicide.
Bruce Richards and Roxanne Davidson, aged 67 and 66, were killed just before 11 p.m. on July 23. Police were called to their house at the corner of 239 Street and 118A Avenue.
A neighbour reported hearing five or six gunshots, and then looking out the window to see the couple’s house on fire.
A group of neighbours raced inside to try and help, only to find the scene of a double homicide.
The neighbours were badly shaken.
“Senseless killings by a neighbour that also ended his own life. This is shaking me up, because I had comfort knowing good people like these friends still existed in our fractured world,” said Matthew Todd Paproski.
People in the neighbourhood said the three had disagreements about parking and other neighbour issues.
Neighbours set up a memorial to the well-liked couple outside their home, with numerous bouquets.
“Such a senseless act over a senseless dispute. So, so sad,” posted Sandy Hulme online.
The gunman was identified as Trevor Hillman.
Ridge Meadows RCMP received multiple reports of gunfire from the scene. They arrived to find two vehicles and the garage on fire. They found the couple’s bodies in the home. Their dog Pippa had also been killed.
They were told by people at the scene that the neighbour was inside his house, with a weapon.
Police and the Integrated Emergency Response Team secured the area, and entered the neighbours house at approximately 2:10 a.m on July 24. They found a man dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound.
Police had already been called to the neighbourhood after the report of a dispute at 6:40 p.m. on July 23. They spoke with the individuals involved.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO), the police civilian watchdog agency, was notified and are investigating police actions in this incident. The results of that investigation should be available by this spring or summer, based on the agency’s timeline for investigations, and goal of having them completed in under a year.
The couple met at Expo 86, and moved in Maple Ridge in 2001, after the birth of their two sons.
Davidson was a financial adviser and banker for 40 years, and Richards had been a teacher, still working part-time after retirement. She was known for hiking and exploring, and he for rugby and photography. They were avid skiers, who were considered locals in Whistler.
“Bruce and Roxanne would want their families and friends to know they loved them all dearly,” read their obituary. “They spoke highly of everyone they were close to and the fond memories they shared.”