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A British Columbia court has rejected a bid by convicted Surrey Six killer Cody Haevischer to overturn his murder convictions, delivering a significant legal victory for the families of the six men killed in one of Canada’s most notorious gang-related massacres.
Court Dismisses Haevischer’s Application
Justice Martha Devlin ruled on Thursday that “the vast majority of Mr. Haevischer’s allegations simply have no merit.” Her decision came after an extensive evidentiary hearing involving 39 witnesses and 209 exhibits, ordered by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2023.
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Haevischer, a member of the Red Scorpion gang, received six concurrent life sentences in 2014 for the first-degree murders committed in October 2007 at Surrey’s Balmoral Tower. Gunmen shot six men in the head, among them two innocent bystanders, Ed Schellenberg and Christopher Mohan, who had no connection to the gang conflict.
Haevischer and fellow Red Scorpion Matthew Johnston had applied for a stay of proceedings after their convictions, alleging systemic police misconduct and inhumane conditions in custody that they claimed compromised their right to a fair trial. Johnston died in 2022 before the matter reached its conclusion.
Judge Acknowledges Charter Breaches but Upholds Convictions
Justice Devlin acknowledged that some aspects of Haevischer’s solitary confinement did breach his Charter rights. However, she found those conditions arose from “legitimate concerns” for his safety and did not justify overturning the convictions.
Dismissing the application, Devlin stated that “any other outcome would not serve to protect the integrity of the justice system.” She also noted, before confirming the six concurrent life terms, that Haevischer had “extinguished the lives of six defenceless men.”
Emotional Reaction from Christopher Mohan’s Mother
Eileen Mohan, mother of innocent victim Christopher Mohan, attended the courthouse on Thursday and wept as the court dismissed Haevischer’s application. She described her tears as ones of relief and gratitude.
“These are tears of happiness and confidence in the law,” Eileen said. “To respect the death of my son… and now courts have respected Christopher also and everyone who died that day, so it’s a beautiful day.”
Eileen expressed frustration that the convicted killers had pursued every available legal avenue at public expense while families continued to grieve. “The people who took my son’s life have used the taxpayers’ dollars to their advantage in every turn to set themselves free while we grieve for the loss of our people,” she said.
Families Find Peace After Years of Legal Battles
The Surrey Six murders shocked British Columbia and triggered one of the largest homicide investigations in Canadian history. The killings stemmed from a violent dispute between rival drug trafficking organizations.
For Eileen Mohan, Thursday’s ruling marked the end of a long and painful legal journey. “You just can’t walk to the doorstep of my home, steal my innocent son’s life and expect to walk free from the courts,” she said. “There’s some peace in my heart and soul and mind.”
Haevischer remains one of five men convicted in connection with the Surrey Six murders. Thursday’s decision firmly closes the door on his latest attempt to escape accountability for the killings.
