Everton Downey has been sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 12 years for the second-degree murder of Melissa Blimkie, 25, in Burnaby, British Columbia, on December 19, 2021.
The sentencing, handed down by British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Heather Holmes on Friday, concludes a case that began when Blimkie was stabbed multiple times in the parking garage of the Metrotown mall around 11:40 a.m. She was transported to hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Downey, 35, was found guilty in August following a judge-alone trial. His defense had argued for a finding of not criminally responsible due to mental illness, a position Justice Holmes rejected.
According to court testimony, two bystanders followed Blimkie’s screams and discovered her bleeding in a stairwell. Downey fled the scene and was apprehended by police approximately an hour later after interacting with several individuals around the mall, according to evidence presented in court.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) confirmed that Downey received a lifetime firearms ban in addition to the life sentence. “This was a tragic instance of intimate partner violence that has had a devastating impact on Melissa’s family and her community,” said Corporal Esther Tupper of IHIT in a statement.
Police initiated the investigation in January 2022, charging Downey with second-degree murder. Investigators reported receiving multiple calls for assist from the mall on the day of the stabbing.
Blimkie was a resident of North Vancouver. Downey’s sentencing brings an end to the legal proceedings, but IHIT’s statement acknowledged the ongoing grief for Blimkie’s loved ones.
