Chrysostom Caragay Marquez, 27, was stabbed on September 17th, 2011.
Marquez was Edmonton's 37th homicide victim of the year.
Malcolm Gilbert Norman Boysis, 24, was charged with second-degree murder. Thomas Mark Cowan, 30, Michael Demeter, 34, Andrea Ng, 27, and Trung Nguyen, 41, were each charged with manslaughter.
"We were watching a movie, my daughter was sleeping," Baywood apartment complex tenant April Ledger later recalled.
"We heard some banging going through the apartments and we heard what sounded like someone fall down the stairs so we called police."
At about the same time, the friend of a stabbing victim had loaded the injured man into a Jeep to take him to a hospital.
But the man quickly realised his friend needed more immediate medical attention and 911 calls were made.
Then, shortly after 10:00 p.m. on September 17, 2011, police responded to 11504 132 Street when reports of a stabbing came in.
Police figured a fight between several men took place inside one of the complex's apartment units.
"There was numerous people in the suite and we've identified some people that have left the suite prior to," Insp. Brian Nowlan said.
"So it's rather a mess right now – we've got all kinds of people that we are interviewing.
"Apparently a large group of individuals, some sort of a party going on, and an altercation occurred between a group of males. As a result of that altercation, one male suffered stab wounds," Nowlan added.
The man was rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital. He was initially listed in serious condition but succumbed to his injuries soon after.
Air Two circled overhead as police descended on the scene – see images »
Police said a number witnesses inside a suite were being cooperative and that they believed the victim knew his attackers.
"The homicide unit are active on the file (but) no suspects at this time," Acting Insp. Tom Farquhar said.
That there was some sort of a party going on – as police said – came as a surprise to one tenant. Others were later shocked to learn that a man had been stabbed – read more »
"If there was a party going on there, it was the quietest party I've ever seen," April Ledger said.
The woman had moved to the building's second floor with her husband and young daughter just two months before. She said it was a little prior to 10:00 p.m. when she heard loud banging and shouting in the suite above her.
This was unusual as her upstairs neighbours were usually "pretty quiet," she said. If there had been a party underway, she hadn't noticed.
It wasn't until later when her husband noticed a lot of police activity in the complex's parking lot that she found out something serious had happened.
"We never knew," Ledger said when she learned the man had died.
"We had no idea until we read about it."
She also said that she had heard that the man who died was a visitor.
Ledger said the building's residents were generally respectful and polite, admitting that she hadn't had much of an opportunity to get to know her neighbours well.
"Usually people are pretty quiet," she said. "If I am with my daughter, they usually hold the door open for me."
It also seemed most neighbours kept to themselves. Despite the complex's density, few could be found who had seen anything.
Loretta Eluik, who lived beside the building where the stabbing occurred, said she saw a woman on the sidewalk speaking loudly on her cellphone the night it happened.
Later, she saw police with flashlights searching the grass in and around that area.
Other tenants were surprised when approached by media. Until there was a camera in front them, most didn't know what was behind the heavy police presence.
"It's close to home – really?" Devon Moore said. "Wow, we live like right here, so ...," Leanne Henig said, her voice trailing off.
Two women sitting on a step were also taken off guard.
"Really, wow, ... oh my God ... that's crazy," they said, trying to finish each other's statements.
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It was likely other residents first realised that something had gone wrong the night before when all their usual parking spots were filled by police vehicles – see images »
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Yellow police tape ran up the stairwell from the front door to the third floor, which residents said was entirely blocked off by police tape.
On September 20th, policed confirmed that the city had recorded its thirty-seventh murder of the year.
An autopsy determined that 27-year-old Chrysostom Caragay Marquez – also known as "Tom" – had died of a stab wound.
For over two-and-a-half months, police said nothing about the matter.
Then on November 28th, 2011, as part of a media availability detailing progress made in the year's 43 homicide investigations, police announced that they had arrested five individuals in connection with Marquez's death.
24-year-old Malcolm Gilbert Norman Boysis had been charged with second-degree murder.
Thomas Mark Cowan, 30, Michael Demeter, 34, Andrea Ng, 27, and Trung Nguyen, 41, had each been charged with manslaughter.
Boysis and Cowan were residents of Enoch while the other three were from Edmonton.
"I'm happy to say over the past two months we've been able to successfully identify and charge three individuals who allegedly went into the suite of the victim on that day," Det. Dwayne Lakusta told media.
Police continued to hold back on details regarding the nature of the murder and the unusual number of charges laid.
"What I can say is that this was not a random act," Lakusta said. "The victim did know at least one of the people responsible for this occurrence."
Investigators did reveal that two of the people charged – Ng and Nguyen – had allegedly "assisted with the attack."
The Baywood Apartments first opened in 1955 as the Bel Air Apartments. It was Edmonton's first large-scale apartment complex with 600 units – read more »
The Bel Air was built to coincide with the opening of Westmount Shopper's Park, Alberta's first mall (and one of the first dozen modern-era suburban shopping malls to be built in North America).
Woodwards', Johnstone Walker and Kresge's were the anchor tenants, and more than 40 other merchants filled the open-air shopping centre that boasted 3,000 free parking stalls.
In the mid-1960s, the enclosed Northagte and Southgate malls opened and Westmount underwent the first of its many renovations to match.
At one time, Westmount and the Bel Air complex were both owned by Triple-Five Corporation, operated by the Ghermezian brothers who also built West Edmonton Mall.
Both businesses changed hands several times, and the Bel Air site expanded through infill to house 775 units. The name was also changed to Baywood.
Westcorp Properties Inc. now owns the complex which is recognised as a historic resource by the City of Edmonton.
While the complex is often thought to be part of the Woodcroft community, it is actually on the western edge of the Inglewood neighbourhood ... and the death of Chrysostom Caragay Marquez was the latest murder to hit the area.
More about recent violent crime the Inglewood neighbourhood can be read here.
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.
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