GUILTY Canada - Nighisti Semret, 55, Rigat Ghirmay, 28, murdered, Toronto, 2012 & 2013

[dotr]

LE admitted initially thinking poi was white, understandable given the lighting conditions and perhaps, imo, p. correctness.
Earlier, posted my impression that poi was not white, but in some cases, that might be considered inappropriate.
Considering perp. has been arrested and found guilty, imo, job well done.


http://www.torontosun.com/2015/05/1...e-identified-accused-killer?channelColor=news
"Veteran homicide Det. Sgt. Gary Giroux took the jury through the anatomy of their intense 11-month investigation that ended with the arrest of Adonay Zekarias with first-degree murder. Zekarias, a fellow Eritrean refugee who attended ESL classes with Semret and once lived in the same transitional shelter, has pleaded not guilty.

Identity will no doubt be an issue at this trial and on the second day of the Crown’s case, a rather honest admission came from the lead investigator: He got it wrong at the start.

Giroux acknowledged that when he put out a description of Semret’s killer after watching the security video footage, he said police were looking for a white male; Zekarias is a light-skinned black man.

“I’ll state quite candidly,” he told the jury Friday, “I was mistaken.”

Giroux blamed a light mounted just below one of the Bleeker St. security cameras for the “bleaching” effect on the video. And in fairness, the blurry videos make it almost impossible to make out the complexion or any of the features of Semret’s murderer."

 

[dotr]

Concerning perceived "gait", perhaps it was not a permanent limp, but one perp. had at that time..

http://torontoobserver.ca/2012/10/3...abbing-victim-attacker-moments-before-murder/

"An Oshawa physician, coroner and orthopaedic surgeon has examined the footage and said that the suspect seems to have a limp on the left side, Giroux said.

“In addition, [the doctor] felt that the deceased had an unusual gait or a possible limp, and as it turns out, she does, on the left-hand side as well,” he said."

 

[dotr]

http://www.680news.com/2015/06/12/adonay-zekarias-sentenced-life-prison-cabbagetown-murder/

"The man found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2012 stabbing death of a Toronto hotel worker in Cabbagetown has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years".



"During the sentencing hearing on Friday, the Crown read a letter from Semret’s son, David Ntahobali, who said his mother was “the steel, the scaffolding that held the family together.”

“The cruel death of my mother is something that goes beyond comprehension and will take many a year to process,” he wrote.

“[The] chapter it seems will never close until we know the reasons why the events of that morning transpired. As long as that remains a mystery, there is no real closure for us, no real end to that emotional turbulence.”

 

[Snoopster]

I'm glad the trial is over....but I really want to know the motive!

Thinking of Nighisti's family.

:hugs:

 

[OkieGranny]

From June:

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...to-life-in-prison-for-cabbagetown-murder.html

Zekarias is still facing a second-degree murder charge for killing Rigat Ghirmay, a woman he lived with, allegedly because she became suspicious that he had killed Semret.

A motive was never established for Semret’s murder, something that both her son, David Ntahobali, and the judge touched on.

 

[dotr]

From June:

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...to-life-in-prison-for-cabbagetown-murder.html

Thanks for the link, wish the family could at least find out why this happened to their loved one.

“We still have a natural desire to know the reasons for the act, so that we can try to have some understanding of what had happened,” said Nordheimer. “Why did this murder happen? We simply do not know and will probably never know.”

 

[dotr]

http://www.citynews.ca/2016/04/27/p...er-human-skull-found-near-st-clair-and-weston

It’s not yet clear if the remains belong to a male or female.

Police say other remains have been found in the immediate area, but they aren’t yet certain if they are all human.

Last week a woman’s torso was found behind a Riverdale butcher shop, but police say Wednesday’s discovery is not connected to that case.

More to come

 

[dotr]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/human-skull-1.3556169

Police said that a man was looking through the brush near Lavender Creek along Symes Road when he discovered the skull.

He called police. Officers are now on the scene canvassing the area along with the coroner and homicide detectives.

 

[dotr]

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Hill...&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=8kohV5nOCMzmjgSjsLaIBA



http://www.cp24.com/news/police-investigating-after-skull-discovered-in-harwood-area-1.2877832


Police investigate at the scene where a skull was discovered near Hilldale Road and Symes Road Park Trail Wednesday April 27, 2016. (Nneka Elliott /CP24)

 

[dotr]

http://www.torontosun.com/2016/04/27/skull-bone-found-in-west-end-hydro-field

Douglas-Cook said another piece of bone was found, as well, and that the coroner determined that both the bone and skull are human.

Police doubted Wednesday’s discovery was connected to the recent case of a woman’s torso being found behind an east-end butcher shop.

“By all accounts ... there is no indicaton that the two are related,” Douglas-Cook said, noting that decay “(is) a lot further along with this one.”

On April 19, police were called to the back of 383 Broadview Ave. after the shop’s employees discovered the torso in the trash. Days later, investigators shut down an east-end garbage transfer station to search for more remains.

rbbm.

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...ll-found-in-torontos-west-end-say-police.html

Toronto Police are investigating the discovery of a human skull that was found in a field near Hilldale Rd., and Symes Rd., Park Trail...

Back in 2013, police discovered the dismembered corpse of Rigat Essag Ghirmay stuffed in a duffel bag on a trail in the same park. Police have not recovered the rest of the human remains.

In 2013, most of Rigat's body was still missing:

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...e_after_womans_remains_found_in_west_end.html

 

[dotr]

http://www.citynews.ca/2016/04/27/police-probe-skull-scene-2013-murder-connected/

Police probe if skull scene and 2013 murder are connected

Investigators are looking into whether the skull belongs to Rigat Ghirmay, a 28-year-old woman murdered in 2013. Her dismembered torso was found in a bag dumped in the same area. Her other remains were never found. Her boyfriend was later charged with murder.

According to police, the skull has been there for a while and was quite decomposed.

 

[dotr]

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...ll-found-in-torontos-west-end-say-police.html



In 2013, most of Rigat's body was still missing:

http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...e_after_womans_remains_found_in_west_end.html

Just popped on to post the same thing here, also posted on this thread.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...air-and-Weston-Apr-16&p=12503647#post12503647
Canada - Toronto, Human skull near St Clair and Weston, Apr'16

 

[dotr]

http://www.680news.com/2016/04/28/p...found-wednesday-belong-to-2013-murder-victim/

A forensic examination of the remains found in a garbage bag in a field near St. Clair Avenue West and Weston Road has confirmed them to be of Rigat Ghirmay, a 28-year-old woman who was murdered in 2013.

Her dismembered torso was found in a bag dumped in the same area three years ago. Her other remains were never found. Her boyfriend, Adonay Zekarias, has been charged with murder and is scheduled to go to trial in 2017.

 

[dotr]

Now confirmed,
http://www.680news.com/2016/04/28/p...found-wednesday-belong-to-2013-murder-victim/

A forensic examination of the remains found in a garbage bag in a field near St. Clair Avenue West and Weston Road has confirmed them to be of Rigat Ghirmay, a 28-year-old woman who was murdered in 2013.

Rigat Ghirmay
:rose:

 

[dotr]

Oct 16 2017
http://toronto.citynews.ca/2017/10/16/trial-begins-man-accused-murdering-dismembering-girlfriend/

[h=1]Trial begins for man accused of murdering, dismembering girlfriend[/h]

The alleged motive put forth by the Crown was that Zekarias feared Ghirmay would identify him as the suspect in another murder investigation – the stabbing death of Nighisti Semret in October 2012. Zekarias was later convicted for that murder and is currently serving a life sentence.

Ghirmay’s torso was discovered weeks after her death by a man walking along the Humber River trail. He found a hockey-sized bag which gave off a “death odour” when he opened it. He called police who discovered human remains.

 

[dotr]

April 23 2018
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/20...uilty-in-death-of-roommate-rigat-ghirmay.html

[h=1]Adonay Zekarias found guilty in death of roommate Rigat Ghirmay[/h]In his decision, Justice Michael Brown says Zekarias killed Ghirmay to keep her from going to the police with information on a previous murder.

On Monday, Justice Michael Brown found Zekarias, 41, guilty of the second-degree murder of his roommate, Rigat Ghirmay, whose dismembered remains were found in a duffel bag five and a half minutes away from Zekarias’ apartment in May 2013. More remains were found on April 2016.

“Mr Zekarias’ dismemberment of Ms. Ghirmay and his disposal is consistent with someone who caused her death,” said Justice Brown in his decision. “I’m satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Zekarias caused Ms. Ghirmay’s death and did so between May 15 and May 16, 2013.”

Brown cited security video footage showing the two entering Ghirmay’s Shuter St. apartment on May 15 at 7:58 p.m. Zekarias’ leaves the apartment at 8:04 a.m. the following day, alone and empty-handed. In the footage, he is seen returning several times within three hours with a black bag, then a black suitcase and back pack. He leaves with each one and doesn’t bring them back.

At one point he is seen in the footage cleaning the elevator and lobby floor with a white rag. At 1:39 p.m. on May 15, he is wearing different clothes and carries a partially full black garbage bag and laundry detergent.

Ghirmay was never seen leaving the apartment again.

 

[dotr]

Man who murdered 2 women must serve at least 45 years behind bars | CBC News
"A man convicted of the murders of two women in Toronto will have to serve 45 years behind bars before he can apply for parole."

"This is a very tragic case," said Crown Attorney Mary Humphrey.

"Two innocent, hard working women who came from Eritrea to Canada for a better life were both murdered by a fellow countryman," she said.

"After they both helped Adonay Zekarias, he brutally murdered both of them within a seven-month period. This was the ultimate betrayal ... We hope that this substantial sentence gives the family of the victims some comfort to know that justice was served today."

 

[Snoopster]

Man who murdered 2 women must serve at least 45 years behind bars | CBC News
"A man convicted of the murders of two women in Toronto will have to serve 45 years behind bars before he can apply for parole."

"This is a very tragic case," said Crown Attorney Mary Humphrey.

"Two innocent, hard working women who came from Eritrea to Canada for a better life were both murdered by a fellow countryman," she said.

"After they both helped Adonay Zekarias, he brutally murdered both of them within a seven-month period. This was the ultimate betrayal ... We hope that this substantial sentence gives the family of the victims some comfort to know that justice was served today."

Can you imagine how tough it is to come to a country with a completely different culture and work to scrape by? And then can you imagine being attacked and killed by one of your own? Bless these two women. I wish I could have done something to prevent this. Even though I do not live in Toronto, I was in the city that night, staying at a hotel. A hotel worker was brutally murdered that night. I am crying for her and the other woman. Life can be so unfair sometimes. They just wanted a better life.

Hugs to all who loved them and hugs to those in their community.

 

[dotr]

June 28 2022

MANDEL: Supreme Court ruling enables Toronto double killer to apply for release 20 years earlier

They were two gruesome female murders that shocked the city.

canoe.com

''They were two gruesome female murders that shocked the city.''

But thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision, lifer Adonay Zekarias has now had his sentence shortened as if he killed only one woman, and not two.

He can now apply for parole after 25 years instead of 45.

What an undeserved present that is for a callous killer who viciously slaughtered two countrywomen who had befriended him in their new home.''

''Nighisti Semret and Zekarias attended the same church back home in Eritrea and had been fellow tenants at the Sojourn House refugee shelter in Cabbagetown; they’d attended ESL classes together and she helped him with his immigration paperwork.''