Second suspect sought in killing

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This article was published 10/02/2021 (1877 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two men are wanted for second-degree murder in an October 2020 killing police now say was linked to the city’s “drug sub-culture.”

Evan Daniel Bill Brightnose-Baker, 21, has been charged with murder along with 28-year-old Jesse James Daher in the death of 29-year-old Mohamed Mohiadin Ahmed, the Winnipeg Police Service said Wednesday.

Canadawide arrest warrants have been issued for both men. Police announced the warrant for Daher on Jan. 19.

Police released more details Wednesday about what investigators believe led to Ahmed’s death. They say he and the suspects were at a residence in Fort Garry when Ahmed was assaulted and left to die. The body was dumped in the Red River, and a passerby saw it while they were walking their dog near Churchill Drive and Hay Street just after 8 a.m. on Oct. 12.

Emergency personnel recovered the body, later identified as Ahmed. Police say they believe he was killed on Oct. 9 or Oct. 10 and that his body was left in the Fort Garry home for a few days. Neither he nor the suspects lived there. All of the men knew each other, WPS spokesman Const. Jay Murray said, but police haven’t deemed it a gang-related homicide.

“We believe that the drug sub-culture played a role in this homicide,” Murray said during a news conference Wednesday.

Tips from the public led to Daher being charged last month, and Murray said investigators hope Winnipeggers can provide information that will help them advance the investigation. Both suspects are known to police, and Murray said it’s possible they could still be in Winnipeg.

“It’s possible. We believe that people in Winnipeg will be able to help provide some information that will lead to their apprehension, whether it’s in Winnipeg or elsewhere,” he said, adding that “information from the public has helped us substantially,” and “no tip is too small.”

As the investigation progresses, Murray said it’s possible police could be looking for additional suspects.

Police describe Brightnose-Baker as Indigenous, 5-5 with a medium build. He weighs about 126 pounds, has brown eyes and is believed to have black hair. Daher is described as white, 6-3, weighing about 155 pounds with a thin build. He has green eyes and is believed to have a shaved head or short brown hair.

Police warned that both suspects should be considered “armed and dangerous” and shouldn’t be approached. They’re asking anyone with information on their whereabouts to call 911. Police are asking anyone with information that may help investigators to call the WPS homicide unit at 204-986-6508 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.

In the past, both accused pleaded guilty to weapons offences. Brightnose-Baker was on a year-long supervised probation starting in May after he pleaded guilty to a weapons trafficking charge for which he spent about seven months in jail. The court also imposed a lifetime weapons ban on him. A few months later, in August, he was charged with theft under $5,000 and mischief to property under $5,000, court records show. Those charges are still before the court, and he had an upcoming court date set for next month.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay