The month of August won’t go down in the history books as the quietest one in Kitsilano.
First, a man attacking police officers gets shot by the police in the far South-East corner of Kits.
Then, three young men are violently robbed of their iPods.
And now the police have started a murder investigation after finding the body of a woman in the parking lot of the large apartment building at the bottom of Burrard Bridge. Yikes.
UPDATE: The woman killed in Kitsilano was 33-year-old Nicole Parisien of Vancouver. According to a Supreme Court judgment, Parisien was murdered by then 25-year-old Andrew Evans who confessed to becoming angry after being unable to get an erection and beat Parisien before strangling her and hiding her body in the bushes. Evans was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years but he was released early after seven years behind bars. He moved back to Calgary upon his release in 2014.
Last modified: February 6, 2019
The scene of the crime was 1450 Chestnut (aka The Projects) – what do you expect when people cover their windows with aluminum foil to keep out the light?? This building needs to come down!
I live at 1450 Chestnut and my apartment has air con, white roller blinds, new carpets and paint. The pool is pristine and the grounds are immaculate. Yes, it’s old and a bit of an eyesore, but there are a number of professionals and young couples who get to live close to work, the beach and amenities because they live in that building. Now granted, there are some dodgy characters who put tin foil up over their windows but that’s because it gets sweltering hot in the summer and the curved walls make it difficult to put up curtain rails. There are also a number of subsidized suites on the lower floors – old folks and people with various disabilities who could otherwise not afford the $800 plus rent for these one-bedrooms. These people aren’t the problem. It’s the transient types who gather 3 or 4 of their buddies and rent a single apartment together and they only constitute a small percentage of the tenants. You shut down a huge complex like this and you’ll end up with a lot of people with nowhere to go, which just shifts the problem to another neighbourhood. Besides, they think that the body may have been dumped there and that the murder took place at another location. It’s just unfortunate that it’s so overgrown and secluded behind the building, which makes it an ideal spot for people to hide their handiwork.
It was Quasimodo! He’s been lurking under the Burrard Street bridge for the last couple months.
http://kitsilano.typepad.com/kitsilano/2007/07/quasimodo-under.html
City police have made an arrest in the slaying of a woman found in the bushes outside a landmark Kitsilano apartment building.
But details of the arrest were not made public today while police waited for criminal charges to be laid.
Police had not released the name of the 33-year-old victim, but her relatives identified her as Nicole Parisien.
A woman found murdered outside a Kitsilano highrise earlier this week had been working in an illegal massage parlour on the building’s fifth floor, Vancouver police say.
Nicole Parisien, 33, was found near some bushes adjacent to a tenant parking lot for the 14-floor building on Chestnut Street near Burrard Street on Monday around 3:45 a.m.
Andrew Williams Evans, 25, of Vancouver, surrendered to police Tuesday in Calgary and is charged with second-degree murder. He’ll appear in provincial court on Sept. 5.
Parisien and Evans met for the first time on Sunday in suite 517, an apartment being operated as an illegal massage parlour, Vancouver Const. Tim Fanning told a news conference today.
“To the best of my knowledge, nobody lived there and it was being used as a massage parlour,” he said.
The investigation has been turned over to the vice unit to determine if the illegal business was in fact, a bawdy house.
Fanning would not confirm how Parisien had been murdered, saying that was still part of the investigation.
Building residents were shocked today to hear that a massage parlour had been operating in their 230-unit building.
Cory Melech, 30, has lived on the 11th floor for more than four years and said he always thought it was funny that “everyone seemed to live on the fifth-floor.”
“There were always people living on the fifth floor but I didn’t know that [a massage parlour] was there,” he said.
Melech said he heard the woman who rents the apartment – identified as Goldman on the outdoor intercom system – subleted the apartment. He’s never had any problems in the building that is home to mostly seniors and young couples.
“It’s Kitsilano. I have a view of the ocean and city. I feel safer here,” he said.
Melech said the building is full of one-bedroom apartments, and his rent is only $800 a month. Although he admits he worries about the building’s security system, and wished management would hire a security guard.
“Anyone can get in at any time here,” Melech said.
Neighbour Geoffrey Brown has been a tenant of the Chestnut building for more than a decade.
“There’s not a lot of noise here,” Brown said. “It’s a well-managed, good building.”
Brown said people who live here usually keep to themselves, but are friendly and always ready to say hello in the elevator.
The building’s manager, a woman named Eva, declined comment to reporters today, denying any knowledge of the fifth-floor massage parlour.
Behind the building, a bouquet of 13 red roses, some bunches of pink and white flowers and photographs of Nicole Parisien mark the spot behind the bushes where her body was found.
Relatives of the former Nanaimo resident, created the makeshift memorial Wednesday for the woman they called a “free bird” who lived in the fast lane.
They said Parisien was trying to get her life together after her father died four months ago and was trying to become a beautician.
lnguyen@png.canwest.com
This murder on Kits Point has raised a number of questions.
1. We still don’t know how Ms. Parisien died.Why?
In contrast to this, look at the Lee murder in Oak Bay. We got it all.
2. We still don’t know anything about this brothel/massage joint.Why?
In contrast, look at the brothel that an elderly Chinese couple was found running in the Anglican Church’s spare house on 41st. We got it all.
These are two important issues which haven’t been clarified, as they have been in other similar incidents.Why?
Speculation is that this murder on Kits Point is bigger than a simple homocide.
Speculation is that this Andrew Evans is related to someone important and a lid it being kept on the affair.
Interesting points JL – I think there is a lot that the police aren’t telling us about this case. Perhaps there was a lot more going on than an in-house brothel???
Hard to belive Simone and her neighbours knew nothing was going on? I’ve heard some great stories about what a crazy party building 1450 Chestnut is, so maybe it’s time that the residents tidy up their acts.
Evans is a product of the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre. His father is the accountant, and his mother works for another powerful board member. This is only the most recent bout of mayhem wrought by AARC grads. It’s a rehab centre that has been pushing to open in BC for many years. His defence will be that he has a disease and cannot be helped. The Executive Director of AARC will appear for the defense, most likely at the time of sentencing.
andy evans was not diseased…i grew up with him. went to school grades 3 thru 10 with him. i played hockey with him, smoked weed with him, drank with him, and took many road trips with him. all of his old friends turned out just fine…we had some fun and we all grew up. unfortunatly andy was convinced by his mother and the AARC that he was different and he had addictions that need severe treatment. Andy was a very smart guy who could have done great things had he not been lied to and brainwashed. that program made him what he is today.
Does anyone know what happened to Andrew Williams Evans with regard to Nicole’s death? Thanks.
I’m also looking for info on what is happening to Andrew Evans in regards to charges?? I knew Nicole for many years as she was a friend of my family’s. She was a sweet girl who bad some bad choices. Its really weird that they are keeping this case hush hush. I guess the the media had moved on to better stories or its because he is involved with “high up” people.
Any info would be great!!!
I was at the trial of Andrew Evans last night. He has been charged with second degree murder and the jury is now out deliberating. The verdict will most likely come down today. The details of the case are gruesome and we can only hope that our justice system does not let us down again. RIP Nicole.
Thanks JDub, I now see the article in the paper.
http://www.theprovince.com/news/Andrew+Evans+sentenced+minimum+years+killing+Nicole+Parisien/2063711/story.html