Richmond resident Jian Hua 'James' Wu has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly killing his wife Sunday afternoon at the Panorama Place apartment complex at 7040 Granville Avenue. The couple had two children.
On Monday a short, skinny Wu, wearing an oversized grey t-shirt, briefly appeared in Richmond Provincial Court along with his defence lawyer David Baker and a translator. Wu consented to remain in custody and will appear in court again on May 27 to discuss bail proceedings.
Outside the courthouse Baker said he had just met with Wu and did not know many details about the incident. Baker confirmed the charges and the fact Wu had two children, while noting his client, a Canadian citizen, was "very concerned."
According to Cpl. Dominic Duchesneau, a spokesperson for the RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, Richmond RCMP arrived at the apartment just before 2 p.m after receiving a call from a resident.
There, police found the deceased woman and "a man who appeared to be related to the incident," said Duchesneau, adding Wu's wife, whose name has not been disclosed, is in her 30s while Wu was 41 years old.
"First responders came to the conclusion the male was associated with the event," said Duchesneau, adding at that point IHIT was called to investigate the scene.
As a result of the crime taking place within a hallway of the apartment complex two residents had to be extracted through the window by firefighters as not to contaminate the crime scene.
"The incident started in one apartment unit and went to a different location outside the apartment. It's fair to say it wasn't in one unit and the crime scene is the entire floor," said Duchesneau.
Richmond Fire Rescue made the short trip across the street to extract the two residents; the apartment is located across the street from the No. 1 fire hall at the corner of Granville and Gilbert Road.
Duchesneau said the crime took place on one of the higher floors.
Duchesneau noted in a news release Tuesday that alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the homicide and police records did not show a history of violence.
As the investigation unfolded on Sunday residents were still permitted to enter and exit the apartment. Police cruisers blocked one lane of traffic on Granville, drawing the attention of passing bystanders.
Duchesneau said a homicide scene at an apartment requires more officers and poses unique challenges as opposed to one that occurs inside a home.
"It certainly requires more police officers to secure the crime scene to make sure no residents don't have to go from one floor to another. To preserve the integrity of the file you don't want them to see things that only the suspect may see," he said.
The incident serves as a reminder from health and community workers in the domestic violence field for the public to be aware of help networks and organizations that can assist victims of abusive relationships.
"These stories trigger people and heighten the potential for outreach," said Belinda Boyd, community engagement leader at Vancouver Coastal Health.
The Richmond Family Violence Prevention Network is a group of organizations that works to help prevent domestic violence. Help can be reached by calling 604-270-6229.
The homicide took place a half block away from CHIMO, a crisis services organization that also specializes in reaching out to newcomers. Settlement workers can speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi and Tagalog among many others. CHIMO can be contacted by calling 604-279-7077.
If you have information regarding this homicide you are asked by police to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
IHIT investigates homicides on behalf of Metro Vancouver RCMP departments as well as the Abbotsford and New Westminster police departments. It covers 31 jurisdictions.
@WestcoastWood
