Two escorts found dead in New Westminster
Posted August 26, 2013 5:28 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS1130) – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is looking into the suspicious deaths of two New Westminster women.
IHIT Sergeant Jennifer Pound says their bodies were found two weeks apart in the same apartment complex near 11th Street and Queens Avenue.
“They did not live together but they do have individual apartments in the same complex.”
Pound says both worked as online escorts.
She says they are awaiting toxicology results for 45-year old Jill Lyons whose body was discovered on August 12th.
The second, 48-year-old Karen Nabors was found dead in her suite on Sunday.
“Because of the similar circumstances on how the women were found and the details that have been retrieved so far we are suspecting that foul play may be a factor,” says Pound. “The priority at this point is to speak with escorts and those that are involved in the sex trade work and to let them know that this has taken place and to also tell them to take extra precaution.”
Pound says it’s unclear at this point if the women were targeted.
Friends of the two women speaking out
Neighbours of the two women who died have wanted tighter security in the apartment building for years.
They say break-ins and fights plague the complex.
After the first woman died, tenants approached the building manager yet again about installing video cameras with no real answer given.
Martin Piasta was friends with the two women. They walked their dogs together and helped him settle in New Westminster after moving from Ontario.
He was shocked to hear about the deaths and claims the landlord cares more about money than people’s safety.
“This building doesn’t have any security in it, there are constant problems with break-ins in the garage. It’s always been an issue about money, that the landlord doesn’t want to invest the money into a security system.”
He says the building had a dummy cam but it was stolen two months ago.
Piasta claims installing working cameras in the 20-million dollar complex would only cost around $20,000.
