The quiet of a rural Abbotsford home was shattered in May 2022, replaced by a chilling discovery that would grip a family and launch a complex murder investigation. Arnold and Joanne De Jong, a beloved couple in their late seventies, were found bound and brutally attacked in their own beds.
Arnold, 77, had duct tape cruelly secured over his nose and mouth, ultimately succumbing to asphyxiation. His wife, Joanne, 76, suffered horrific injuries – a combination of sharp and blunt force trauma that stole her life. The scene spoke of a calculated violence, a violation of the sanctuary they had built.
Three young men – Khushveer Toor, 22, Gurkaran Singh, 20, and Abhijeet Singh, 22 – were later arrested and charged with two counts each of first-degree murder. The prosecution alleges a dark motive fueled their actions: debt, financial desperation, and a cold, calculating greed.
The De Jongs, owners of a trucking business, were known to live alone, making them, in the eyes of the accused, vulnerable targets. Abhijeet Singh had even been to their home weeks before the murders, performing cleaning work on their roof and gutters, gaining familiarity with the property and the couple’s routines.
Following the horrific act, the three men allegedly fled, seeking refuge in Brampton, Ontario. They briefly shared a rented basement suite in Surrey upon their return to British Columbia, attempting to disappear back into the fabric of everyday life.
Investigators began to piece together a disturbing trail of evidence. A suspicious transaction on the couple’s Visa card triggered an alert. Two cheques, made out to Gurkaran Singh and Toor and purportedly signed by Joanne De Jong, surfaced as potential evidence of the crime.
The prosecution intends to present a compelling case built on forensic evidence, financial records, and cellphone data, all meticulously linking each accused man to the scene and the crime. A fingerprint belonging to Gurkaran Singh was found at the house, and DNA evidence connected a weapon discovered in a car used by all three to the murders.
The courtroom was filled with over 50 grieving family and friends as the trial began, a testament to the profound impact of this tragedy. For Sandra Barthel, one of the couple’s daughters, simply seeing the accused was a fresh wave of pain.
“To see them in front of you… to think of these two senior citizens, who are innocent and in the sanctuary of their home…” she shared, her voice thick with emotion. “Hearing some of the details this morning was just really, really hard, to know your parents… to think of what those moments must have been like.”
Her sister, Kimberley Coleman, described her parents as “caring, loving and… honourable,” emphasizing the senselessness of their deaths. Just the day before, the De Jongs had joyfully celebrated Mother’s Day with their children and grandchildren, a final, precious memory now overshadowed by unimaginable loss.
Joanne had been playfully engaged in hide-and-seek with her grandchildren, while Arnold enjoyed quality time with his daughters and their husbands. Later that evening, Arnold’s sister visited, leaving around 10 p.m. – the last time anyone saw the couple alive.
The following morning, a frantic phone call from Arnold’s sister, unable to reach the couple, led to a horrifying discovery by their son-in-law. The police were called, and a family’s world irrevocably shattered.
“Our parents were a blessing, not only to us, but to everyone who knew them,” Barthel stated, her voice filled with a quiet strength. “The fact that this could happen to them is unbelievable, and it’s shocking… In the world that we live in, there’s evil.”
The path to this trial has been long and fraught with delays. Initial choices for a judge and jury were reversed, adjournments were granted, and lawyers were changed, each hurdle adding to the family’s anguish. Despite the setbacks, the pursuit of justice has continued.
