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Three Indian-origin men in Canada convicted of couple's murder
Three Indian-origin men were found guilty of first-degree murder in Canada for the 2022 killing of Arnold and Joanne De Jong in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The BC Supreme Court ruled on May 8, 2026 that Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor played integral roles, with the murders found to be financially motivated. Sentencing is scheduled for May 28, 2026.
Why It Matters
The verdict underscores how financial motive can drive violent crime and how prosecutors can rely on circumstantial evidence, including DNA, phone data, and material forensics, to secure a conviction.
Timeline
3 Events
Sentencing for Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor scheduled
May 28, 2026
Sentencing for the three individuals is scheduled for May 28, 2026.
Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor found guilty of first-degree murder
May 8, 2026
British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Brenda Brown ruled that Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor played a willing and integral role in the murders, concluding the killings were financially motivated. The defence arguments that the deaths resulted from a robbery gone wrong were rejected. Prosecutors presented circumstantial evidence including DNA from the crime scene, rope used to tie Arnold De Jong, a metal baseball bat recovered from the suspects’ vehicle, and phone data showing internet searches after news reports about the killings, including searches related to how murderers are punished in Canada. The accused had pleaded not guilty to two counts each of first-degree murder at the start of the trial.
Discovery of the De Jong couple's deaths in Abbotsford
May 2022
Arnold and Joanne De Jong were found dead in their Abbotsford residence in May 2022. The couple were found in separate bedrooms, with Arnold’s head and face wrapped in duct tape and Joanne found with blood around her; their hands and feet were bound with rope.