ARMSTRONG, B.C. – Investigators say they believe the man who killed an 18-year-old woman on Halloween is the same person who sexually assaulted an employee of a Kelowna escort agency more than six years ago.
Taylor Van Diest was attacked while walking down some railway tracks in Armstrong, about 70 kilometres north of Kelowna, on Oct. 31. She later died in hospital.
RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said Wednesday while police don’t yet know the suspect’s identity, they do know the DNA collected matches evidence from an April 2005 sexual assault inside Kelowna’s Garden of Eden escort agency.
“The suspect DNA sample is not contained within the known-offender DNA data bank,” said Moskaluk.
“So what this means is investigators can confirm the match, however, they do not have the outright identity of the person at this time.”
The victim of the 2005 assault was an employee of the agency, and the incident was reported to police at the time, said Moskaluk.
Police have also released a description of the suspect based on the 2005 incident.
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He is described as a Caucasian male with dark skin tones, is 25 or 26 years old, has dark eyes and short dark hair and is between five-feet, eight-inches and five-feet, 10-inches tall.
When contacted for comment, the owner of the escort agency declined to giver her name but read a prepared statement.
She said she didn’t own the business in 2005 and current employees know nothing of the incident because the staff has changed.
“We just hope that they catch the suspect soon and pray for his victims and their families,” she said.
Armstrong Mayor Chris Pieper said he doesn’t like to use the word “fear,” but noted locals are cautious and nervous and a “cloud of uncertainty” is hovering over the town.
“You won’t get over it. You just have to learn to deal with it,” he said.
Locals are more aware of their environment than before the killing, he added, and the community has changed.
Pieper urged people who may have information on the suspect’s identity to call police tip lines or Crime Stoppers.
“Nobody will ever know who you are.”
Moskaluk said police believe the suspect is a resident of the Okanagan Valley but may have lived outside the area for a period of time between 2005 and 2011.
He said the young man may have suffered scratches to his face, neck or arms after the homicide and may have changed his regular routine.
The suspect may have also made an unplanned, sudden or unexplained departure after the Halloween murder and may be collecting social assistance or be financially dependent on others, he said.
Moskaluk said associates, friends or family of the suspect may be able to help solve the crimes.
“We ask that residents of the Okanagan think back to the days just prior to Taylor’s murder on Halloween night to see if they recall some form of conflict, or personal upset on the day or days leading up to Halloween,” he said in a media statement.
“This may include financial pressures, relationship pressures, job loss or other serious life stressor.”
He said residents of the central and north Okanagan should remain vigilant and take extra safety precautions, like travelling in a group, accepting rides from family and friends and carrying a cell phone.
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