Police lay murder charge in nine-year-old cold case
Posted Aug 4, 2013 3:28 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Calgary police are looking at a possible motive of revenge after an arrest and charges this weekend in a cold case from almost a decade ago.
Saturday, 33-year-old Yousuf Bikila was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the January 2004 deadly stabbing of 23-year-old Shane Johnson.
Nine years ago, Johnson was stabbed to death in a parking lot after leaving the NYLA night club and Staff Sgt. Grant Miller with the CPS Homicide Unit said it’s believed Johnson and another man got into an argument in the bar earlier that night.
“We’re investigating the possibility of an incident that led up to this and this is retaliation,” Miller said. “We are examining that and trying to confirm that information.”
“Obviously we’ve laid a charge of first-degree murder that speaks to some premeditation.”
On Friday, police released new camera footage taken at a Greyhound station after the attack.
The video shows the suspect Bikila buying a ticket just days after the killing and then Saturday afternoon, police caught up with Bikila in the 3700 block of 17th Avenue S.W.
Miller said they are sifting through large amounts of information and witness accounts.
As many as 75 people have come forward with information regarding the incident nine years ago.
“It’s not uncommon for our instances that occur in the entertainment district to have large numbers of people potentially that could be seen that could have seen what happened,” Miller said.
“We have a couple of pieces of information that might be relevant or connected to this and, again, we just need a little bit more time to confirm the information that we have.”
Investigators are still trying to locate two other people shown in the Greyhound bus depot footage.
Miller said police have not yet confirmed identities of the two and continues to ask the public to come forward with any information regarding the case.
