Police continue to investigate the recent deaths of two escorts found dead in an apartment complex in New Westminster this month.
Investigators with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team released a second statement concerning the investigation today, following a warning they issued yesterday on the suspicious deaths of two online escorts working from their apartments at 211 11th St.
Sgt. Jennifer Pound said in the statement there have been concerns over the timing of the warning, which wasn't issued until the second woman, 48-year-old Karen Nabors, was found dead on Aug. 25 - almost two weeks after 45-year-old Jill Lyons was found.
According to police, when the New Westminster Police Department first responded to Lyons' death there was a possibility it was a suicide, which is why no warning was issued until Nabors turned up dead.
"As police officers we are morally, ethically and legally responsible to balance the protection of the public and the integrity of the investigation. In cases, where suicide is a possibility, there is a particular emphasis on the protection of information in order to be empathetic and understanding to the sensitive issues that surround some of our cases," Pound said in the release.
According to police, at this time foul play hasn't been confirmed in either cases, but it hasn't been ruled out, either.
This isn't the first police have been called to the 11th Street apartment building. In the past 12 months, New Westminster police have received 57 "calls for service" to the building, according to Insp. Phil Eastwood.
But this doesn't necessarily mean officers are responding to calls to the building once a week.
"I cannot tell you that police were physically required to attend in every case since some may have just been non-attendance calls," Eastwood said.
The department's crime prevention unit had reached out to the owner and manager of the building to include the residence in the Crime Free Multi Housing program but was unsuccessful, Eastwood added.
"As a result of that they certainly haven't been able to take advantage of all the things that that brings with it," he said.
The program, which is available to rental properties all over the province, offers training sessions for owners and managers on how to make properties less appealing to criminals and criminal activity. In New Westminster, members of the crime prevention unit send out crime alerts to specific areas when they notice an increase in criminal activity. While this information is available for the public through the police department's website, it is sent directly to building owners and managers in the Crime Free Multi Housing program.
"From the occupant safety point of view, we wish they were part of our Crime Free Multi Housing program, they're not, and our efforts to encourage the owner and managers to become involved in that program have been unsuccessful," he said.
Anyone with information on the deceased women are asked to call Integrated Homicide Investigation Team the tip line at 1-877-551-IHIT or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
