Surrey Six killer loses bid to overturn murder conviction

Cody Haevischer, one of five men convicted in the Surrey Six killings, has lost a court challenge seeking to overturn his convictions.

Haevischer, a member of the Red Scorpions, was convicted in 2014 of six counts of first-degree murder for the October 2007 shooting deaths at Surrey’s Balmoral Tower. Six men were shot in the head, including innocent victims Ed Schellenberg and Christopher Mohan.

Haevischer and fellow Red Scorpion Matthew Johnston had sought a stay of proceedings, alleging systemic police misconduct and inhumane custody conditions deprived them of a fair trial. Johnston died in 2022. The Supreme Court of Canada granted a new evidentiary hearing in 2023.

After hearing from 39 witnesses and considering 209 exhibits, Justice Martha Devlin ruled Thursday that the vast majority of Haevischer’s allegations had no merit. She found that some of his solitary confinement breached Charter rights, but said it was prompted by legitimate safety concerns.

Devlin dismissed the application, finding a different outcome would not protect the integrity of the justice system. Mohan’s mother, Eileen, said the ruling brought her peace and recognized the victims. The court imposed six concurrent life sentences.