Too much death — page 3
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The Winnipeg Sun n WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2011 NEWS 3 TOO MUCH DEATH Go online to see a map and timeline of the slayings and photos of the victims. WORS T YEAR FOR WINNIPEG winnipegsun.com/ victims JAMES TURNER Winnipeg Sun From mere kids to the eld- erly, those suspected in this ye ar ’s h omi ci des hai l fro m all backgrounds and walks of life. Wh at fo ll ow s ar e br i ef sketches of a few who police arrested. hey are presumed innocent until proven guilty. n Lulonda Lynn Flett, 40, faces five counts of second- degree murder and attempted murder charges in con- nection to a July 16 room- ing house fire in North Point Douglas. hree days before the blaze, Flett pleaded guilty to assaulting her sister-in-law and was set free on probation with a condition to avoid h er. Court documents, however, allege the relative is one of the attempted murder victims who es caped the fa tal b laze. Flett, who hails from Norway House, has no other criminal convictions. Her next court date is Nov. 25. n homas Brine, 26, is accused of killing Elizabeth Lafantaisie, a 73-year-old great-grandmother found stuffed in the trunk of her own car after being reported missing. Court records show Brine has prior convictions stretching back over the last six years and was wanted on warra nts at t he time he was arrested for first-degree mur- der in March. His next court date is Dec. 15. n A male youth, 14, remains in custody charged with first- degree murder related to the death of David Michael Vin- cett in September — an inci- dent police have linked to a dispute between the MOB and Indian Posse street gangs. he teen was out on proba- tion at the time of the shoot- ing after being convicted of firing a sawed-off shotgun in the direction of a Canada Post carrier last November. Despite his young age, the boy had several other prior convic- tions as well. His next court date is Nov. 23. n Max Maurice Richard, 36, is suspected of killing April Helen Hornbrook, a 24-year- old mom whose body was found on a dirt path next to the Yellow Warehouse build- ing on Aug. 26. Richard was picked up on robbery and assault charges Sept. 7, but not arrested as a suspect in Horn- brook’s murder until Sept. 30. Richard, who has twice served stints in federal prison, came from a “chaotic” background and struggled with substance- abuse issues, the Parole Board of Canada says. He’ll next be in court Nov. 21. [email protected] Murder suspects have their own gritty tales to tell TAMARA KING Winnipeg Sun Wha t is someti mes ove r- looked in Winnipeg’s record year in homicide s is that th e number — now at 35 and counting — represents a tragic toll, a life that’s been lost, leav- ing heartbroken loved ones behind with only memories. Few know this better than Holly Kolevris, a court sup- port worker with the Mani- toba Organization for Vic- tim Assistance, or MOVA. Not only does she work with the families of homicide victims, Kolevris’ nephew, .J. Wiebe, was ki lle d in 200 3. He was only 20. ‘Now I can relate’ “I used to have the same opinion when I read the peo- ple involved were drug deal- ers and say, ‘oh good, another one is off the s treet,’ ” said Kolevris. “Now I can relate. Every one of these murder statistics has a family. You have to see behind the headline.” David Vincett made mis- takes and may not have been an angel, but he didn’t deserve to die, suggests the mother of the 20-year-old man fatally shot earlier this fall. Vincett, 20, may have be en killed because he claimed to be in a street gang — a claim that appears to be false. His fam- ily said he was never in a gang and police have no record of such affiliations. Aroun d 4: 20 a .m. on Sept. 25, Vin- cett crossed paths on Boyd Avenue with a 14-year-old boy and the pair exchanged words over alleged gang ties. Vincett was shot in the face and left to die. Vinc ett was a y oung man who was often misunde rstood, his mother, Linda Kozlowski, said in a recent interview. “Big imagination. Helped everybody that asked for help. Picked the wrong friends. Made his mistakes and paid for them,” she said, her face grim, adding: “He wasn’t an angel, but he wasn’t a devil either. He was a good kid.” A 1 4-ye ar-ol d w ith tie s t o the Indian Posse is charged with first-degree murder . Mohamed Ali Omar was a beloved father of four young children and a hard-working husband, caught by mistake when a gunman struck outside a McPhil- lips Street hotel, his family says. Omar, 28, came to Canada in 1993 from war- torn Somalia. He grew up in the West End, graduated from Daniel McIntyre Collegiate, and worked in housek eeping at St. Boniface General Hospital. On Oct. 30 around 4:30 a.m., Omar and a group were in a vehicle just about to head home from the Lincoln Motor Hotel when someone pulled up in an SUV and started fir- ing. Omar and a second vic- tim, a 17-year-old boy, were shot. Te teen survived. Omar did not. “Tis is devastating and all of us are suffering. He was a beloved father, ” says Ahmed Omar. ‘Has no enemies’ His family suspects someone else — not Mohamed — may have been the intended target. “Tis man was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” says Ahmed. “He has no enemies. Why somebod y (would) shoot him, I don’t know.” No arrests have been made. Police suggested the shoot- ing could be gang-related, although declined to give details other than saying both the 17-year-old and Omar had “associ ations to a local street gang” — something Omar’s family vehemently disputes. [email protected] Grieving kin forgotten Looking beyond homicide statistics WINNIPEG SUN FILES Murder victim David Michael Vincett is seen here with Jennifer Kraynyk and their daughter Heather Kraynyk. WINNIPEG SUN FILES Omar was killed outside the Lincoln Motor Hotel. “This is devastating and all of us are suffering. ” — Ahmed Omar
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Transcript of Too much death — page 3
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The Winnipeg Sun n Wednesday, november 16, 2011 NEWS 3
too much death
Go online to see a map andtimeline of the slayings andphotos of the victims.
worst year for winnipeg
winnipegsun.com/victims
JamES TurNErWinnipeg Sun
From mere kids to the eld-erly, those suspected in this
year’s homicides hail romall backgrounds and walks o lie.
W hat ol low s are brie sketches o a ew who policearrested. hey are presumedi n n o c e n t u n t i l p r o v e nguilty.n Lulonda Lynn Flett, 40,
aces ive counts o second-degree murder and attemptedm u r d e r c h a r g e s i n c o n -nection to a July 16 room-ing house ire in North PointDouglas. hree days beorethe blaze, Flett pleaded guilty to assaulting her sister-in-law and was set ree on probation
with a condition to avoid her.Court documents, however,allege the relative is one o the attempted murder victims
who escaped the atal blaze.
Flett, who hails rom Norway House, has no other criminalconvictions. Her next courtdate is Nov. 25.n homas Brine, 26, is
accused o killing ElizabethLaantaisie, a 73-year-oldgreat-grandmother oundstued in the trunk o herown car ater being reportedmissing. Court records show Brine has prior convictionsstretching back over the lastsix years and was wanted on
warrants at the time he wasarrested or rst-degree mur-der in March. His next courtdate is Dec. 15.nA male youth, 14, remains
in custody charged with rst-degree murder related to thedeath o David Michael Vin-cett in September — an inci-dent police have linked to adispute between the MOBand Indian Posse street gangs.he teen was out on proba-tion at the time o the shoot-
ing ater being convicted o iring a sawed-o shotgun inthe direction o a Canada Postcarrier last November. Despitehis young age, the boy hadseveral other prior convic-tions as well. His next courtdate is Nov. 23.nMax Maurice Richard, 36,
is suspected o killing AprilHelen Hornbrook, a 24-year-old mom whose body wasound on a dirt path next tothe Yellow Warehouse build-
ing on Aug. 26. Richard waspicked up on robbery andassault charges Sept. 7, but notarrested as a suspect in Horn-brook’s murder until Sept. 30.Richard, who has twice servedstints in ederal prison, camerom a “chaotic” backgroundand struggled with substance-abuse issues, the Parole Boardo Canada says. He’ll next bein court Nov. 21.
Murder suspects have their own gritty tales to tell
Tamara KINGWinnipeg Sun
What is sometimes over-looked in Winnipeg’s record
year in homicides is that thenumber — now at 35 andcounting — represents a tragictoll, a lie that’s been lost, leav-ing heartbroken loved onesbehind with only memories.
Few know this better thanHolly Kolevris, a court sup-port worker with the Mani-toba Organization or Vic-tim Assistance, or MOVA. Notonly does she work with theamilies o homicide victims,Kolevris’ nephew, .J. Wiebe,
was killed in 2003. He wasonly 20.
‘Now I can relate’“I used to have the same
opinion when I read the peo-ple involved were drug deal-
ers and say, ‘oh good, anotherone is o the street,’ ” saidKolevris.
“Now I can relate. Every one o these murder statisticshas a amily. You have to seebehind the headline.”
David Vincett made mis-takes and may not have been
an angel, but he didn’t deserveto die, suggests the mother o the 20-year-old man atally shot earlier this all.
Vincett, 20, may have beenkilled because he claimed tobe in a street gang —
a claim that appearsto be alse. His am-ily said he was neverin a gang and policehave no record o such afliations.
Around 4:20 a.m.on S ep t. 25, V in-cett crossed pathso n B o y d A v e n u e w i t h a14-year-old boy and the pairexchanged words over allegedgang ties. Vincett was shot inthe ace and let to die.
Vincett was a young man
who was oten misunderstood,his mother, Linda Kozlowski,said in a recent interview.
“Big imagination. Helpedeverybody that asked or help.Picked the wrong riends.Made his mistakes and paidor them,” she said, her acegrim, adding: “He wasn’t an
angel, but he wasn’t a devileither. He was a good kid.”
A 14-year-old with ties tothe Indian Posse is charged
with rst-degree murder.Mohamed Ali Omar was a
beloved ather o
our young childrenand a hard-workinghusband, caughtby mistake whena gunman struck outside a McPhil-lips Street hotel, hisamily says.
Omar, 28, cameto Canada in 1993 rom war-torn Somalia. He grew up inthe West End, graduated romDaniel McIntyre Collegiate, and
worked in housekeeping at St.Boniace General Hospital.
On Oct. 30 around 4:30a.m., Omar and a group werein a vehicle just about to headhome rom the Lincoln MotorHotel when someone pulledup in an SUV and started ir-ing. Omar and a second vic-tim, a 17-year-old boy, wereshot. Te teen survived. Omar
did not.“Tis is devastating and all
o us are suering. He was abeloved ather,” says Ahmed
Omar.
‘Has no enemies’His amily suspects someone
else — not Mohamed — may have been the intended target.
“Tis man was in the wrongplace at the wrong time,” says
Ahmed. “He has no enemies.
Why somebody (would) shoothim, I don’t know.”
No arrests have been made.Police suggested the shoot-
ing could be gang-related,although declined to givedetails other than saying boththe 17-year-old and Omar had“associations to a local streetgang” — something Omar’samily vehemently disputes.
Gieving kin fogottenLooking beyond homicide statistics
winnipeg sun files
Murder victim David Michael Vincett is seen here withJennifer Kraynyk and their daughter Heather Kraynyk.
winnipeg sun files
Omar was killed outside theLincoln Motor Hotel.
“This isdevastatingand all o us
are sufering.”— ahmed omr
