Charges have been upgraded for a man charged with a homicide at an Abbotsford homeless camp.
Ryan Easton, 49, was initially charged with manslaughter in relation to the death of a 47-year-old man on April 24. But the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) announced on Friday (May 15) that Easton is now instead charged with first-degree murder.
He has also been charged with arson in relation to an inhabited property.
“We strive to collect the best evidence available rather than just sufficient evidence, and this case is a good example where our continued efforts led to upgraded charges,” said Sgt. Freda Fong of IHIT.
Police responded just after 6 p.m. on April 24 to a fire at the Peardonville encampment in the 31500 block of South Fraser Way.
At the time, they said the fire had been limited to a wooden structure. When the fire was extinguished, a man was found deceased.
A man was arrested on scene and taken into custody. Charges against Easton were announced the following day.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
Easton was previously in the news in 2017, when police issued a press release to indicate he was wanted on an outstanding warrant for assault and uttering threats.
At the time, police said Easton was “well-known to law enforcement in the Fraser Valley” and had been involved in more than 100 police incidents.
He was again wanted by police in 2021 for assault, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and four counts of breaching his release conditions.
According to the provincial court database, Easton has prior convictions for offences such as assault, obstructing police, causing a police pursuit, possessing stolen property, mischief, and numerous breaches of his bail and probation conditions.
Meanwhile, charges have not yet been laid in relation to another homicide at an Abbotsford homeless camp.
Wayne Versfelt, 69, was shot to death on March 23 at the park-and-ride site at Whatcom Road and Highway 1.
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