The RCMP and the mayor of Dawson Creek are reacting to first-degree murder charges laid Friday in connection with the death of Rob Girbav in 2023.
“To have some sort of police action that is now public is a huge win, not only for the RCMP, but for Dawson Creek and the Peace Region as a whole,” said Staff Sergeant Rob Hughes.
The BC Prosecution Service approved one count of first-degree murder against Tanner Allan Murray, Robert James Sinclair, and Benjamin James Elliott Touchette.
Mayor Darcy Dober also says he believes the approval of charges is a significant win.
Dober says he is happy for the detachment that their hard work and efforts have paid off.
“As much as this is a win for the community, I am really grateful to the members of the detachment that have put in the time and effort to really help Dawson Creek be a safe place to live in,” said Dober.
Police say that with charges of this nature now laid, and an expected increase in public confidence, they hope that more witnesses from other murder investigations will come forward.
Hughes says there is a lot of public pressure on police officers when investigations take this long.
CJDC-TV News learned months ago that there was a possibility one person could have been charged in the investigation at the time.
However, Hughes says part of the delay can be attributed to charging more than one suspect.
“If you move forward and put charges against one person, the likelihood of charging everybody involved stats to diminish,” Hughes explained.
On December 31st,2023, Mounties responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at 17thStreet and 116thAvenue. When they arrived at the scene, they found a red Dodge Caliber and Girbav’s body inside.
Sources have alleged that Girbav’s death is one of 10 murders that have been linked to the on-going gang turf war that has gripped the Peace Region since May of 2021.
Investigators believe the accused and the victim were known to each other.
On Saturday, Tanner Murray, Rob Sinclair, and Ben Touchette were arrested without incident as they were already in custody for unrelated matters.
When Hughes was hired in 2023, mayor and council’s goal was to make Dawson Creek a safer place, and he believes the community is now moving in that direction.