WARMINGTON: Alleged Pickering killer had knife, was ‘casing street’

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Durham Regional Police homicide detectives are reviewing video of an accused teen stabbing killer allegedly “casing the street” prior to the slaying that cop sources say had the look and feel of a predator searching for prey.

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And DRPS is hoping the public can provide other videos captured on home security cameras or dash cams. They have even taken the unusual step of providing a special link for people to easily upload their videos.

Needless to say this is an all-hands-on-deck investigation in Pickering.

“He went out with a knife,” said a police source of the accused, adding it looked like a hunter preying on a potential target. “He was walking up and down … Surveillance video shows him casing out the street, looking for a victim.”

Police want more videos.

In the end, after putting out an emergency warning for the public to shelter-in-place, police did track down and arrest a 14-year-old boy, who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

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By charging him with first-degree murder, DRPS is alleging this was a planned and deliberate crime.

While the youth did make a court appearance via video link in an Oshawa court, the charges of first-degree murder against him have not been tested in court and police have indicated this is a robust investigation in its early stages. Police sources say Durham detectives are working on obtaining warrants to go through the accused’s computers, game players or any devices and any alleged obsessions, collections or interests he was known to have.

A deep dive into his life is also under way.

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As graphic as it is, police sources tell the Toronto Sun, the woman — identified by neigbhours as Eleanor Doney, according to reports — was stabbed repeatedly and later struck with a blunt object. Despite an emergency run to hospital, she died from her extensive wounds.

DRPS is also in custody of security videos that show the alleged killer was wearing clothing like something out of a video game or movie. Like some of those fictional characters boast online, he was dressed to kill. Turns out he may also have been armed to kill. And kill he, allegedly, did. Not a gang member or a cop or someone in a carjacking. Who was killed was a senior citizen woman out doing her gardening.

Any victim of murder is unacceptable. But this is dark. This has shocked a community and a country.

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In what is believed to be a random attack, an 80-year-old woman was stabbed multiple times after what police said was a short interaction between the two. While it is believed the accused lives nearby, police have not commented on that. Time will tell whether there had been any previous exchanges, knowingly or unknowingly.

At this point, it is not believed there was any. But no stone will be left unturned on this case.

This is as strange a murder case as it is disturbing. And DRPS have every door open to determine just what the motive was for this heinous evil crime that Durham police Chief Peter Moreira Thursday night called a “a sadistic and cowardly unprovoked attack that was captured on video.”

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The chief is right. This was grotesque.

Police were working on warrants to go through the accused’s computers, games players or any devices and any alleged obsessions he may have had.

So what’s the motive for such a callous attack? Police are working hard to find out.

The security videos originally used by police to track down their alleged killer that forced a shelter-in-place through the Pickering area Thursday are creepy and terrifying. They show a figure dressed all in black, carrying a black bag, wearing larger-than-normal shoes and a face covering. It has the appearance of something out of a horror slasher video game or horror movie. He was captured on security camera in peculiar, unique clothing before the incident, after the incident — even at one point stopping to put something into, or retrieve, from a bag. He seemed to have an eerie calm about him. He didn’t seem frantic.

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Mental health has been cited as a factor in this investigation. Still, at this point, there are more missing pieces and loose ends than there are answers.

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But DRPS homicide detectives are shaking every tree to get to the bottom of just how this retired senior citizen kindergarten teacher met her demise in such a horrible way Thursday afternoon in Pickering. That part of this insane story in which a beloved 80-year-old woman was savagely stabbed to death on her lawn Thursday is what a shocked public knows.

There is a lot we don’t know and many questions. Police are hoping the public’s video footage could provide key evidence to help unlock the mystery.

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