Police hope $25,000 helps in solving murder

Police believe those involved in the murder of a man in Regina last year don’t have ties to the city, but investigators are missing a piece of the puzzle before they can get to the main players.

On Aug. 5, 2016, the body of Abdisalam Dahir Nur was found at 2065 McDonald St.

The Edmonton resident was known to be involved in a violent drug network and had been in Regina for a short period of time before he was murdered.

Hundreds of hours of investigation have revealed a number of people were involved in various roles, said Chief Evan Bray of the Regina Police Service.

“Sometimes you need that one piece of the puzzle to give you the complete picture and put it all together,” he said. “It’s not that we have a bunch of unknown players necessarily, it’s more understanding and being able to tie what their involvement was in the crime.”

The RPS is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Nur’s death.

Supt. Lauri Morin, in charge of the Criminal Investigations Division with the RPS, said the violent drug network the victim was involved with has links with Ottawa, Toronto and Edmonton.

“People of interest have been identified by investigators that are responsible for this crime,” she said.

“Every lead has been followed up and all avenues have been exhausted at this point. Investigators believe there are individuals who know who was involved and what actually took place at the residence where the homicide occurred prior to the homicide. We believe a reward may stimulate someone to come forward with the information necessary to provide a successful outcome on this file.”

In the harsh world of drug dealing, Bray recognizes people could be fearful about coming forward.

Under the reward guidelines, an individual must provide their name and address and a complete statement of their knowledge of the case to investigators. They may be required to testify, so no confidentiality can be offered.

Bray noted police have a “robust plan” — that could include the witness protection plan — to ensure people who come forward with information are safe.

The RPS has been in regular contact with Edmonton police and forces in other jurisdictions in connection with the case.

“This was a murder in our city,” Bray said. “It was done by transient people involved in a drug trade and I know that, as the City of Regina, that we don’t accept that. Our doors aren’t open to that. To me, this is our attempt to bring resolution to this file as quickly as we can, hold the offender to account and send a message, I guess, to other drug dealers and those involved in that very dangerous, high-risk lifestyle.”

No informant is waiting in the wings to get a cash payout.

“It wouldn’t just be about the reward, but hopefully the reward gets them in the door talking to us,” Bray said.

It’s not common for the RPS to offer a reward, but the file must be concluded, Bray told the Board of Police Commissioners on Wednesday.

Prior to the board authorizing the reward, Mayor Michael Fougere noted he was in favour and said: “You have my attention. You have my support.”

“We don’t typically do this,” Fougere said later. “This is the third one that we have outstanding and the circumstances that are being explained today and portrayed today are sufficient for the commission to say unanimously, ‘We agree with you.’ ”

The other two criminal cases for which rewards have been offered are for Tamra Keepness who went missing July 5, 2004. Initially a $25,000 reward was offered, but that was increased in 2014 to $50,000.

Also that year, a $50,000 reward was authorized for the 2010 homicide case involving Gray Nay Htoo, Maw Maw and Seven June Htoo, who were killed on Aug. 6, 2010.

Both cases are outstanding.