The quiet Canadian city of Abbotsford was left horrified after a retired couple was discovered brutally murdered inside their own bedroom — a crime prosecutors say was calculated, personal, and deeply disturbing.
Nearly four years after the shocking killings of 77-year-old Arnold De Jong and his wife Joanne De Jong, 76, three young men have now been convicted of first-degree murder in a case that devastated an entire family and stunned investigators across British Columbia.
The convicted men — Abhijeet Singh, Khushveer Toor, and Gurkaran Singh — were all employed by a cleaning company that had previously worked inside the couple’s home multiple times. Prosecutors argued that the suspects used that familiarity to carefully target the elderly pair before carrying out what the judge later described as “intimate and prolonged” killings.
According to evidence presented in court, Arnold and Joanne were attacked in their beds during the night of May 9, 2022. When police arrived at the home, they discovered a horrifying scene.
Arnold was found with tape wrapped tightly around his head, covering his nose and mouth until he suffocated. Joanne was discovered beside him with severe head injuries and a slashed throat. Both victims had their hands and feet bound with rope.
During the trial, prosecutors rejected the defense’s claim that the incident was simply a robbery that spiraled out of control. Instead, the Crown argued the murders were deliberate and carefully executed.
Justice Brenda Brown agreed, stating the violence showed “calculation and determination,” emphasizing that the killings were neither impulsive nor accidental.
Investigators later uncovered evidence showing the suspects stole credit cards, checks, and property from the home before fleeing. Authorities said the stolen cards were quickly used for personal purchases, while attempts were made to cash forged checks written to the suspects themselves.
One detail that particularly shocked the courtroom involved internet searches allegedly conducted by Abhijeet Singh shortly after the murders. Prosecutors revealed he searched questions related to how murderers are punished in Canada — evidence they described as “exceptionally damning.”
DNA from all three men was also reportedly found inside the crime scene, further strengthening the prosecution’s case.
What made the tragedy even more heartbreaking was the timing. Just one day before the murders, Arnold and Joanne had gathered with their three daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren to celebrate Mother’s Day together.
For the family, that joyful gathering unknowingly became their final goodbye.
Outside court after the verdicts were announced, the couple’s daughters spoke emotionally about the pain that still remains despite the convictions.
Sandra Barthel described the guilty verdicts as deeply emotional but incomplete.
“We’re the ones serving the life sentence now,” she said, explaining that no court decision could ever fully heal the loss of their parents.
Another daughter, Kimberley Coleman, remembered Arnold and Joanne as gentle, loving people whose absence continues to leave an enormous void in the family’s lives.
“They can never be replaced,” she said through tears. “We miss them every single day.”
Although the convictions brought some sense of justice, the emotional scars remain permanent for those left behind.
All three convicted men are expected to return to court for sentencing later this month, where they could face life imprisonment for one of the most disturbing double homicide cases the region has seen in recent years.
