Life sentence with no parole for 12 years for killer of Chilliwack, B.C., man
CHILLIWACK — The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says a man arrested for murder in January 2023 has been given a life sentence without the chance of parole for 12 years in the death of a man in Chilliwack, B.C.
The team says in a news release that the sentence for 27-year-old Matthew Bauer was handed down Thursday after a jury in B.C. Supreme Court found him guilty in February.
Police say they were called to a Chilliwack home in December 2022 where 64-year-old Holbert Tew was found suffering from stab wounds.
They say Tew died at the scene.
The homicide team took over the case and quickly identified Bauer as a suspect.
Sgt. Freda Fong with the homicide investigation team says the attack on Tew was senseless and unprovoked and their thoughts are with the family as the court proceedings come to an end.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
The Canadian Press
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas Parents Charged with Murder a Year After Their 4-Month-Old Baby Was Found Dead in a Motel Dresser Drawer
Two Texas parents have been charged with murder following the May 2024 death of their baby daughter Brookelynn Fancher was 4 months old when she was found dead in a dresser drawer at a motel in Houston last year Jeremy Fancher, 38, and Destiny Campos, 21, have since been taken into custody following an investigation by the Harris County Sheriff's OfficeTwo Texas parents have been charged with murder, more than a year after their 4-month-old baby was found dead in a dresser drawer at a motel. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announced on Saturday, June 21, that the baby's parents had been taken into custody more than a year after the Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) responded to the death of an infant at a motel on Rancho Mission Drive in Houston in May 2024. The HCSO has accepted murder charges for both Jeremy Fancher, 38, and Destiny Campos, 22, following the death of their daughter, Brookelynn Fancher, on May 26, 2024, Gonzalez said. Per the HCSO, the parents were reportedly "living at the location for over a year" when Brookelynn was found unresponsive inside a dresser drawer where she "reportedly slept." After a follow-up investigation, Destiny was arrested on Friday, June 20, and booked at Harris County Jail. Jeremy was arrested on Saturday, June 21, and booked at Tom Green County Jail, the HCSO said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. "I'm glad our team has remained relentless and sought justice for this precious infant," Gonzalez wrote in a statement, acknowledging the work of the HCSO's Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, Texas Department of Public Safety, San Angelo Police Department and Tom Green County Sheriff's Office. "Thanks to them, we are closer to securing justice for baby Brookelynn," the sheriff added. Luann Simon, the baby's maternal great-grandmother, told NBC affiliate KPRC that she was relieved charges had been filed, alleging that authorities "found methamphetamines in the [hotel] room" with the baby last year. Simon said police should have arrested the couple sooner following the baby's death. 'They have been living their lives like nothing ever happened,' she told the outlet. 'They should've been charged with the drugs at the scene and held on those charges until the homicide charges were ready.' Simon — who said she would "like to see them spend the rest of their lives behind bars" — also alleged that her granddaughter Destiny told her it "wasn't the first time" the couple put Brookelynn in the dresser drawer, as they'd "shut her in there" when they wanted "alone time." It is not immediately clear if Jeremy and Destiny have legal representation to comment on their behalf. Citing charging documents, KPRC and CBS affiliate KHOU reported that Destiny allegedly told investigators her husband would seal the drawer shut with a towel to prevent the infant from kicking it open. KHOU reported that the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office determined Brookelynn died from suffocation. Following the infant's death, per Fox affiliate KRIV, Jeremy claimed he was at the store and came back to find the drawer shut, while Destiny said she was asleep and assumed the baby was with Jeremy. The parents were also living with their 1-year-old son at the time, per the outlet. A motel housekeeper reportedly took photos of Brookelynn in the drawer and said she alerted management, KPRC reported. Jeremy's bond has been set at $850,000, per jail records. Destiny is due in court on Monday, June 23, and her bond has been set at $300,000, according to additional jail records. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
1 dead, 1 injured in stabbing at homeless shelter in Toronto, 1 in custody
A man has died in hospital and another man was injured after being stabbed inside a North York shelter Sunday afternoon, Toronto police say. A man in 70s has been arrested in connection to the incident, said Acting Insp. Todd Jocko, duty senior officer for the Toronto Police Service. Both victims are in their 50s, Jocko said. The stabbing happened at the shelter located in the area of Wilson Avenue and Beverly Hills Drive. Police were called to the area shortly after noon. When officers arrived, they tried to save the life of one man who was in life-threatening condition, Jocko said. Toronto paramedics took both men to hospital. The one in life-threatening condition was pronounced dead there. The other man who suffered non-life-threatening injuries is still in hospital. "We understand that these incidents are alarming and concerning for people in the community. Please rest assured that we are dedicating all the necessary resources to this investigation," Jocko told reporters near the scene. Jocko said there is no threat to the public and there are no outstanding suspects in the stabbing. Homicide detectives have taken over the investigation. Jocko said there will be an increased police presence in the area as officers continue to investigate. Anyone with information is urged to come forward to police.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
She was sexually assaulted in a rideshare. She's not alone — but companies won't share Canadian data
When Emily ordered a ride through a rideshare app after hanging out with friends six years ago, she thought she was making a safe choice. Then, she was sexually assaulted by her driver. Two years after the driver pleaded guilty to sexual assault, Emily decided to sue him and the rideshare company in civil court. The lawsuit is still winding its way through the court system. "I was relying on the rideshare company to get me home safe and instead they put me in a car with my rapist," Emily said. Radio-Canada has changed her name and has not named the rideshare company to protect Emily's identity. In the past two years, at least five rideshare drivers have been arrested in connection with a sexual assault or convicted in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, based on police data. But it's unclear how comprehensive that number is. That's because, despite having done so for the U.S., companies such as Uber and Lyft have not released data on alleged sexual assaults in Canada. Several lawyers say the companies should be more transparent about such cases. "They are touting a safe service," said Toronto lawyer Simona Jellinek. "Show us how safe it is. Prove it." Meanwhile, Toronto-based lawyer Darryl Singer says he has worked on around a dozen cases in the last five years involving someone suing a rideshare company after an alleged sexual assault. Several cases are ongoing, he told CBC Toronto in May. Most of his cases are in the GTA, he said. In 2019, one of his clients, a woman from Toronto, sued Uber and a driver for $5 million. The lawsuit was settled, he said. Reports involving rideshares have increased "notably" since 2020, said Toronto police spokesperson Nadine Ramadan in an email to CBC Toronto. "These increases are more pronounced than the overall trends for assaults and sexual violations city-wide," she wrote, adding the increase may coincide with an expanded use of ride-sharing services since 2020. Uber and Lyft condemned incidents of sexual assault in emails to Radio-Canada. Both platforms provide in-app safety measures. Uber lets passengers share their trip details with someone else and has an emergency assistance button that allows users to call 911. Lyft also offers a location-sharing function. The company says it "monitors rides for unusual activity, like long stops or route deviations." "If we notice anything off about your ride, we'll contact you to see if you need help," Lyft says on its website. But Emily said these measures gave her a "false sense of security." "Unfortunately, there are still bad people out there that also use these apps," she said. Lyft has "incorporated a number of features to promote safety" for riders, including screening processes for drivers, spokesperson Allison Guthrie said. Meanwhile, Uber spokesperson Gabriela Condarco-Quesada said the company is "constantly seek[ing] new ways to improve safety … before, during, and after every ride." But Singer said the companies should do more to screen their drivers. People who want to drive for Uber or Lyft in Toronto have to follow a series of steps, starting with a background check conducted by the companies. The companies then apply for a licence on behalf of the drivers. The city reviews the applicant's criminal record check and driving record before issuing the licence. One ground of refusal for a licence is the conviction for "any sexual offence under the Criminal Code in the preceding ten years," according to the city's website. If the city becomes aware of any breaches of its screening criteria, it notifies the companies and "they are required to immediately remove the driver," city spokesperson Shane Gerard said. But with nearly 80,500 people licensed to drive for rideshare companies in the city in December 2024, according to a recent report, a criminal background check alone is not sufficient, Singer said. "Somebody may never have had a criminal record before precisely because they've never been convicted," he said. Singer would like to see applicants interviewed before they begin driving. "I can't imagine in my office hiring somebody based on an exchange of text messages through an app," he said. Singer said the City of Toronto "could easily" require rideshare apps to publish sexual assault data annually to continue operating, as they have done in the U.S. The city has published data from rideshare companies before, such as the number of trips made in the city. But while riders can file a complaint on the city's website against a driver regarding the conditions of their vehicle, any complaint related to the behaviour of the driver must be filed directly with the company. WATCH | Most criminal charges laid in Ontario are tossed before making it to court, data shows: Neither city staff nor Mayor Olivia Chow's office responded when asked if they had asked rideshare companies operating in Toronto to share sexual assault data. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Transport Canada said the federal department has no involvement in the regulation or oversight of rideshare operations. In its latest U.S. report, Lyft said 2,651 cases of alleged sexual assault by drivers and passengers were reported to the company between 2020 and 2022. That amounts to one case for every 540,000 trips, it said. Lyft said it will continue to monitor the situation in Canada, but did not commit to publishing Canadian data. Uber said 2,717 alleged cases of sexual assault by drivers and passengers in the U.S. were reported to the company between January 2021 and December 2022 — one case for every 700,000 trips, according to the company's latest report. A spokesperson for Uber said the company will "continue to evaluate future opportunities to publish additional reports." Both companies said cases of sexual assault are exceedingly rare. Burlington lawyer Laura Hillyer, who has represented victims of sexual assault in rideshare vehicles, said rideshare companies should be more transparent in releasing data about all alleged crimes during trips. "If I go out for dinner with my friends in the city and I choose to walk home alone in the dark, I know what risk I'm taking," she said. "I don't think people fully appreciate the risk that they're taking when they get into a rideshare because I don't think the risks are fully disclosed." Meanwhile, for Emily, while taking her case to court has been no easy feat, she says speaking out has taught her an important lesson. "I've learned I'm stronger than I thought I was and more resilient than I thought I could be," she said. "And unfortunately, that I'm not alone."