last link on the left › deadmonton

WARNING

Shane Edward Howarth, 42, was stabbed to death July 1st, 2009.

Howarth was Edmonton's fourteenth homicide victim of the year.

Augustine Darren Poitras, 42, was charged with second-degree murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

surveillance images released | arrest made | charges laid

Minutes after Canada Day fireworks lit the sky, blood covered the sidewalk in front of the Edmonton Transit stop near Telus Plaza.

At about 11:49 p.m. July 1st, 2009 two men – described as "acting strangely" – attacked two other men at the bus stop on the west side of 100th Street south of Jasper Avenue.

According to witnesses, one man was "whacked by something" on the head while the other man was stabbed in the stomach.

The stabbed man was then pushed under the Number 8 bus as horrified transit patrons looked on.

The two victims were taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital 15 minutes apart in separate ambulances, one with a police escort. The 42-year-old stabbing victim was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

As police were already just across the street, officers arrived "in about 12 seconds."

"Police members were just across the street at the MacDonald Hotel dealing with another matter. They came right across and started performing CPR on him immediately," Insp. Greg Alcorn said.

The stabbing victim had no pulse when he was first checked. He was revived and transported to hospital where efforts to save him were unsuccessful.

"At this time, one person has died as a result of the fight," Alcorn said. "Whether it was as a result of that or other causes, we can't be sure."

Police took one man into custody "who had quite a bit of blood on him," according to Alcorn.

"We have one person that's being detained and another person who was injured and we're not sure how he is related to this event. That's all things we're going to have to sort out."

Alcorn did not say if other suspects were being sought. There were reports indicating several persons ran from the scene immediately after the altercation.

Investigators were eager to review security video images recorded at and around the bus stop, hoping that footage taken from the transit centre, the Hotel Macdonald and the Telus office tower would shed light on what had transpired.

"We're trying to get video from the transit centre, from Telus security. When we compile all that information together we'll be able to give a more comprehensive identity as to who these suspects may be and who we might be looking for," Alcorn stated.

Police figure the assailants waited for the bus to arrive to block the view of the officers across the street. They also believe it was not a random attack.

"From information that we've received from witnesses it seems to be a very direct attack. Whether these people knew each other, that's something we've not been able to determine. Those are things we're going to hope to determine as we continue our investigation."

It took police over 90 minutes to interview the nearly two dozen witnesses on the waiting bus.

"Of course, we had a busload of people who had just finished watching the fireworks," Alcorn said. "You go out to watch the fireworks, this isn’t the first thing you’d want to see."

Several media outlets spoke with one man in particular – read more »

"We had to stay on the bus for a couple of hours after the stabbing ... they took our witness statements, and they were looking around for weapons," Robert Proudfoot said.

Proudfoot saw the attack while he and his family waited for the Number 8. Soon there was blood everywhere ... all over the sidewalk, the victims, and his daughter.

According to Proudfoot, a fight started between two groups of men after the bus ultimately destined for the Mill Woods Transit Centre arrived at the downtown stop.

Proudfoot's 18-year-old daughter said what sounded like angry words were exchanged between the men and the fight was on.

"The blonde guy got whacked by something, by something big. He either got punched really badly or was hit by some weapon," Proudfoot said.

"All of a sudden, his whole side of his face was covered in blood. He was down on the ground, then he came on the bus."

The injured man grabbed a spot standing next to Proudfoot.

"He was losing blood too, right on the stairs of the bus and wherever he was standing."

Proudfoot asked him what happened.

"He said he got hit by somebody. He was standing right beside me trying to cover his head. He had blood on the side of his face and it was dripping down over his arms. I was worried that he was going to collapse."

Proudfoot's younger daughter, 14, got blood on her coat. He told the cut man that he'd better go talk to the police outside.

The shaken father described what happened to the second man.

"The other guy got pushed under the bus and got stabbed."

The man's position under the bus hampered rescue efforts. Proudfoot said the man did not look good after he was pulled out by paramedics.

"He was all covered [in blood] like he was bleeding profusely. Paramedics and police were trying to control his bleeding.

"It was a lot of blood he lost. There was blood everywhere from him. One of my daughters said she heard him breathing like a lung had been punctured."

Proudfoot said the two attackers appeared to be aboriginal. The two victims appeared white.

"The same guys were hassling people in the bus station," Proudfoot said.

They were after his 14-year-old daughter for a cigarette, standing right up to people and staring at them, he added.

"Here's this guy, kinda staring at my daughter and kind of looking at other people oddly."

Proudfoot thought he also saw one of them begging people for cigarettes a few blocks from the bus stop minutes earlier.

When it came to traveling downtown in the future, Proudfoot said he would be more watchful.

"If you can't, you know, stand at a bus stop without being stabbed by somebody, then it means we just have to be a lot more wary and be looking out all the time," he said.

Autopsy results released July 3rd indicated that 42-year-old Shane Howarth died of a stab wound.

The beating victim was treated in hospital and later released.

Surveillance images released

On July 3rd, 2009 Edmonton police released images of four persons of interest, taken from surveillance cameras in the area of the Telus Plaza transit stop.

Homicide detectives asked for the public's help in identifying the individuals seen in the following images.

Subject #1 is a male with dark hair, wearing a long-sleeved gray hoody, jeans, and a grayish ball-cap. He was described as being of average build, possibly in his 30s and between 5-feet 10-inches to 6-feet tall.

Subject #2 is a female with a slim build, wearing a snug-fitting sweatshirt with white stripe around the bottom and blue jeans. Her hair was in a pony-tail or a bun.

Subject #3 is a male wearing dark jeans and a dark jacket.

Subject #4 is a male with short hair, wearing dark clothing and dark shirt or jacket with a white emblem.

On July 9th police released an additional image taken from security cameras, showing two female persons of interest.

"This brings us to a total of three males and two females that we're interested in identifying and speaking to," homicide detective Greg Murray said in a news release.

"Someone out there knows the people involved and we ask them to come forward for the sake of the victim, his family, and this investigation."

Arrest made

On July 21st, 2009 police announced that an arrest had been made in connection with the death of Shane Howarth.

Without releasing specific details, officers arrested a 42-year-old man in Edmonton's downtown core shortly after 4:30 p.m.

He was taken into custody and at last word was being interviewed by investigators.

No charges were announced, and detectives aren't saying if the man they arrested was one of the individuals captured on surveillance images released earlier.

When speaking to the Edmonton Sun, Howarth's family were "relieved" at the news of an arrest – read more »

Charges laid

On July 22nd, 2009 police announced that they had charged Augustine Darren Poitras, 42, with second-degree murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

In a statement to media, detectives said tips from the public were instrumental in helping effect an arrest in Howarth's homicide.

"The suspect and victim were not known to each other," a police spokesman later said.

"Detectives have spoken to all the people that they needed and they are not pursuing any further charges."

On July 30th, 2009 Augustine Poitras appeared in an Edmonton courtroom.

A preliminary hearing date was set for February 9th, 2010.

Not indicated was if an election or plea was entered. Poitras remains in custody.

Howarth's homicide came three years after Edmonton saw another murder on Canada Day.

On July 1st, 2006 23-year-old Jaret Lee Severight was shot to death in the parking lot of a highrise seniors complex at 10305 100 Avenue. The case remains unsolved.

All the information presented on this page has been compiled primarily from published media reports and should not be interpreted as having legal bearing or other prejudice against the individuals named on this web site.
The Last Link on the Left practices fair presentation and the disclosure of relevant interests.
Mouseover for image credits.

deadmonton 2009 - shane edward howarth