deadmonton 2006 - dave persaud
Dave Persaud, 21, was shot to death October 29th, 2006.
Dwayne Anthony Nelson, 22, was charged with three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault and one count of assault causing bodily harm.
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Dave Persaud was one of three men shot as part of the Red Light Lounge Triple Murder. For the latest developments into the investigation of his death, please visit the Red Light page.
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Just three days after he married 23-year-old Feben Tsegaye on September 19th, 2006 Dave Persaud drove with two friends to Edmonton from Toronto.
Like many young men who head west to the capital of oil-rich Alberta, they were searching for a dream ... to find a job.
Dave last spoke to his father just hours before he was fatally shot.
He told his father he was planning to attend church in the morning after spending an evening on the town.
Deodat Persaud said his son was not a gang member or a regular club-goer.
His father told the Edmonton Journal Dave and his friends only went out that night when they heard a disc jockey friend would be there.
Dave was Guyana-born and the family's middle son.
He was described as a hard worker who was close to his family and popular with his many friends.
"He was loved by everyone. He had friends from all cultures. His wife is from Ethiopia."
Jasmatti Persaud had a message for Dawyne Nelson, the man charged with killing her son.
"If he had taken five minutes of his life to know my son Dave, he would not have pulled a gun on him," she said.
"I would like to say to the shooter that I'm not interested in how many years that he will be sentenced. I can forgive him today, if he can promise that it will be the last gun he holds and can change his life today."
Dave loved cars and planned to open a business installing automotive electronics. Tsegaye was going to run a day care in the basement of their home.
Together they wanted to earn as much money as possible to launch their dream businesses.
In Edmonton, Persaud worked two jobs, at a Home Depot hardware store and at a Boston Pizza outlet.
Tsegaye said she heard of what happened at the Red Light Lounge from a friend who accompanied her husband that night.