Archive - 2009
Homicide #2009-15
Date - 2009-07-10
Victim - Hall, Joseph Alexander (24)
Accused - Bourassa, Randall Preston (21); McMahon, James Michael (21); Larocque, Matthew (18); Male (17)
Charge - Manslaughter and Robbery
In the early evening of July 10th around 8:30pm, 24-year-old Joseph Hall was fatally stabbed by a group of young men near the corner of Aikens Street and Alfred Avenue. He was able to make it to his home where he died in his Mother's arms shortly before 9:00pm.
According to family members, Hall had just popped out to a neighbours to a borrow a disk to help him update his resume. It was terrible timing for the young man, as he found himself in the path of a violent crime spree, carried out by a group of four suspects.
Police report that the brutal, two-and-half hour spree, began around 6:30pm when the four known gang members had threatened and robbed a 60-year-old man behind a business in the 800 block of Main Street between Jarivs and Sutherland.
After the successful robbery, the group moved north and set upon a young pair of kids in the 300 block of Selkirk Avenue. Here a 17-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl were assaulted. The boy suffered multiple stab wounds to his lower body, but survived his injuries.
Continuing to move the North, the group set upon a 54-year-old man in the 300 block of Burrows Avenue. The man was beaten and robbed but did not require medical attention.
Still moving North, the group encountered the victim Hall near the corner of Aikens and Alfred where he was fatally stabbed.
Leaving Hall to bleed to death, and still not satisfied with their evening of violence, the group came across a 38-year-old single father of three walking down Aikens Street, near St. John's, on his way to buy milk at the corner store. The man was surrounded, threatened with a knife and punched in the head before they robbed him of $60.
Two men, ages 52 and 17, who were out test driving a car in the neighbourhood had stopped to witness the mugging. One of the gang members threatened them with the same knife and carjacked the vehicle while the other three took off on bicycles.
A short time later, police saw the stolen vehicle crash into a curb in the 200 block of Atlantic Avenue and the driver flee the vehicle. The police dog unit was able to quickly arrest the suspect.
After a brief investigation, the following four suspects were in custody facing manslaughter and robbery charges.
Randall Preston Bourassa (21), James Michael McMahon (21), Matthew Larocque (18), and a 17-year-old male youth.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers at 786-8477.
REFERENCES
Wiebe, Lindsey; Godbout, Arielle. (July 12, 2009). 'Why is it so bad around here?'. Winnipeg Free Press.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/why-is-it-so-bad-around-here-50574957.html
(July 12, 2009). Four charged in stabbing death of city man. Winnipeg Free Press. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Armed-thugs--50579922.html
Preprost, Matt. (July 13, 2009). Four held in string of vicious assaults. Winnipeg Free Press. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/four-held-in-string-of-vicious-assaults-50614952.html