Toronto man convicted of second-degree murder of filmmaker Reeyaz Habib

Khoa Tran, 36, was found guilty of second-degree murder after Habib's body was discovered in a trash compactor in June 2023. His wife was convicted as accessory.

Toronto jury convicts man in trash compactor killing of filmmaker

A Toronto jury has found Khoa Tran, 36, guilty of second-degree murder in the death of filmmaker Reeyaz Habib, 53, whose body was discovered wrapped in blankets and duct tape inside a trash compactor at a Liberty Village townhouse complex in June 2023, cbc.ca reports.

The verdict was delivered Wednesday at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Tran's wife, Isabelle Nguyen, 30, was found guilty of accessory after the fact to manslaughter and indignity to a human body.

Habib lived in a condo unit directly above Tran. Court heard the two men had been locked in a dispute over barbeque smoke rising from Tran's balcony. According to the Crown, the conflict escalated after Habib threatened to report Tran to the condo board for infractions.

Toronto police located Habib's body on June 8, 2023, near East Liberty Street and Western Battery Road.

At trial, Tran testified that he had attempted to compromise over the barbeque issue but grew increasingly angry when Habib continued to complain. He acknowledged throwing the filmmaker's bicycle into a dumpster as an act of revenge, but denied killing him. Tran also denied being the person captured on surveillance footage discarding items in the building's underground garbage compactor — the same location where Habib's body was later found.

Expert witnesses told the court that Tran's fingerprints were identified on a note and on duct tape found on Habib's body. DNA from both Tran and Nguyen was also recovered from the tape. No surveillance footage of the killing itself existed, and no witnesses came forward. Neighbours reported hearing cries for help inside the complex at around 3 a.m.

When the verdict was read, Tran bowed his head and reached for Nguyen's hand as she wept. The couple held each other before being led away in handcuffs. Members of Habib's family observed the proceedings virtually.

Habib was an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and had been completing his first feature film, Fat Lady Sriracha, as writer and director. The centre described him as a "gifted storyteller and filmmaker" in a statement following his death. "This is a great loss for the CFC and Canada's creative community," the CFC said. According to the statement, Habib had left behind a 15-year career on Bay Street to pursue filmmaking. "Reeyaz will be deeply missed by so many."

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September. Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence, with no eligibility for parole for a minimum of ten years.

Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)