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Three Punjab-origin men convicted of couple’s murder in Canada
Three Indian-origin men were found guilty of first-degree murder in Abbotsford in connection with the 2022 killings of a couple. The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled the murders were financially motivated and rejected claims of a robbery gone wrong, with prosecutors presenting evidence linking the suspects to the crime. Sentencing was scheduled for May 28, 2026.
Why It Matters
The ruling illustrates how financial motive and planning are treated in Canadian murder cases and highlights the cross-border implications of a crime connected to a local business.
Timeline
3 Events
Sentencing for the three scheduled
May 10, 2026
Sentencing for Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor is scheduled for May 28, 2026, as reported.
Gurkaran Singh, Abhijeet Singh and Khushveer Toor found guilty of first-degree murder
May 7, 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 killings. The murders were found to be financially motivated, and the defence argument that the deaths resulted from a robbery gone wrong was rejected. Prosecutors said the trio planned to rob and kill the couple and stole credit cards, cheques and a power washer. The accused, all in their 20s, had pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial. Evidence cited included DNA from the crime scene, rope used to tie Arnold De Jong and a metal baseball bat recovered from the suspects’ vehicle. Phone data showed Abhijeet Singh carrying out internet searches after reading news reports about the killings, including searches related to how murderers are punished in Canada.
Arnold and Joanne De Jong found dead in Abbotsford residence
May 2022
Arnold De Jong and Joanne De Jong were found dead in their Abbotsford residence in May 2022. Arnold’s head and face were wrapped in duct tape, Joanne was found with blood around her, and their hands and feet were bound with rope.