A 27-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a 2022 Burnaby double homicide. Mohammed Arif Ansari faces two counts of second-degree murder and one count of indignity to human remains following a long-term investigation into the deaths of Kiesha Garie and Umair Kasim.

Details of the 2022 Burnaby double homicide

The victims, 31-year-old Kiesha Garie and 30-year-old Umair Kasim, were a couple from Coquitlam, B.C. They had been reported missing to the Coquitlam RCMP several days before their bodies were discovered.

On October 17, 2022, a passerby found the two individuals inside a vehicle parked near École Alpha Secondary School on Alpha Avenue. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has since characterized the incident as a targeted homicide. Investigators believe that the victims and the accused all knew one another.

Impact on the victims' families

The investigation lasted nearly four years, a period that caused significant distress for the families involved. Garie’s mother, Christine Angelis, previously held a protest in front of RCMP headquarters in Surrey, expressing frustration over the lack of information provided during the process.

As the case moved slowly, Garie’s family utilized social media to raise awareness. A Facebook group was established to seek progress, and the circumstances of the deaths eventually became the subject of a true crime podcast. The long wait for legal action was attributed to the high threshold required by the B.C. Prosecution Service, which demands a substantial likelihood of conviction before proceeding.

How long did the investigation take?

Authorities spent years piecing together the timeline and circumstances surrounding the deaths. IHIT Sgt. Freda Fong stated that the case required "meticulous examination of evidence" and the pursuit of multiple investigative avenues to reach the milestone of approving charges.

FAQ

Who were the victims in this case?

The victims were Kiesha Garie, 31, and her fiancé, Umair Kasim, 30, both of whom were from Coquitlam.

What charges is the accused facing?

Mohammed Arif Ansari is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of indignity to human remains.