Durham Regional Police dealt with a series of deeply troubling homicide cases in 2025, keeping investigators under intense pressure throughout the year. Several of the incidents were described by police as especially tragic, shocking residents across the region.
Random Garden Stabbing in Pickering
One of the most disturbing cases occurred on May 29, when an 80-year-old retired kindergarten teacher was fatally stabbed while tending her garden in a quiet Pickering neighbourhood. Police Chief Peter Moreira described the attack as “sadistic, cowardly, and unprovoked.”
The woman later died in hospital. Following a large-scale police search, a 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged in connection with the killing.
Elder Killed Near Oshawa Islamic Centre
Another case that sent shockwaves through the community happened on October 13, when 80-year-old Ibrahim Bala, a respected elder in Oshawa’s Muslim community, was murdered just steps from the Oshawa Islamic Centre.
Durham police deployed all available resources, including the Hate Crime Unit. One week later, Bala’s 42-year-old son, Sohaib Bala, was charged with second-degree murder.
December Stabbing Death in Oshawa
In the early hours of December 23, an Oshawa neighbourhood west of downtown was placed under lockdown following the stabbing death of Jeremy Russell. One suspect was quickly arrested, while a warrant was issued for Michael Waterman, 44, who was also wanted in a separate homicide in Peterborough earlier in the month.
Waterman was arrested on Boxing Day and now faces two separate second-degree murder charges.
Body Found Near Highway 401 in Pickering
A grim discovery was made in July, when the body of 67-year-old Yuk Kwan Chu of Scarborough was found in a ditch near Highway 401 and Whites Road in Pickering. Some reports indicated the remains were discovered inside a suitcase.
Her common-law partner, Zhi Kuang, 60, was arrested, with charges later upgraded to first-degree murder.
Casino Security Guard Murder Still Unsolved
Durham police continue to search for a suspect in the October 2023 shooting death of Michael Ferdinand, a security guard at Pickering Casino. Ferdinand was shot after a group was removed from the casino earlier that morning.
A $25,000 reward remains in place for information leading to the arrest of a now 20-year-old suspect, a rapper known as “Baby2,” whose identity is subject to ongoing publication restrictions under judicial authorization.
Photo Credits : Insauga
