Investigators with B.C.’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) issued a plea for tips from Edmontonians and other Albertans on Thursday as they work to make an arrest in connection with the 2017 death of a teen found dead in Surrey.
At about 5 a.m. on Aug. 20, 2017, 19-year-old Tanner Krupa’s body was found in a back alley in the 6900-block of 127A Street of Surrey, B.C.
Cpl. Frank Jang of IHIT appeared at an Edmonton news conference with Tanner’s mother, Kim Krupa, on Thursday.
“It’s been almost two years since Tanner’s passing,” he said. “It’s about time we get some information that can really lead to a breakthrough in this case.”
“He just can’t die without justice — there’s no way,” Kim Krupa said.
“We need to know why somebody did this to him.”
Police in B.C. have said they believe Tanner was involved in an altercation with a group of males that led to his death.
“Tanner was a resident of Edmonton who had just moved to Surrey for employment at the time of his death,” police said in a news release on Thursday.
“IHIT continues to actively investigate Tanner’s murder and detectives have been diligently gathering evidence and now believe that those with important information about what happened to Tanner may be currently residing in the Edmonton area.”
READ MORE: Mother pleads for help on anniversary of Tanner Krupa’s unsolved murder in Surrey
Watch below: (From August 2018) The family of Tanner Krupa is hoping the release of new surveillance video will lead to an arrest in the murder of the 19-year-old, whose body was found a year ago in a back alley. Grace Ke has the story.
At the time of his death, Krupa was a recent graduate of Edmonton’s Archbishop O’Leary High School and left his hometown for work opportunities in B.C.
He was a directional driller for a company laying fibre-optic line in Abbotsford.
“To those currently in the Edmonton area that have intimate knowledge about what happened to Tanner, we strongly urge you to do the right thing and come forward with your information,” Jang said.
“It is never too late to do the right thing.”
READ MORE: Tanner Krupa named as victim in Surrey suspicious death
Watch below: (From August 2017) IHIT says the man found dead in an alley along 127 A over the weekend was Tanner Krupa, an Edmonton man who had reportedly just moved to Metro Vancouver for work. Rumina Daya has more on the man who was not on police radar.
Anyone with information about Krupa’s death is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551- IHIT (4448) or email them at ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Krupa’s mother issued a statement on Thursday in which she also pleaded for help getting justice for her son. You can read her statement in its entirety below.
My name is Kim Krupa and I am Tanner’s mother.
Twenty months ago, on Sunday Aug. 20, 2017, Tanner was taken away from me at the young age of 19.
Since his murder, my family and I have been struggling to accept the fact that we can never see Tanner’s bright smile again. He had a smile that could brighten anyone’s day.
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Tanner had a big heart and would help anyone at any time. He worked incredibly hard as a directional driller and was a dedicated student with a passion for fitness and for leading a healthy lifestyle.
Never in a million years would I have thought my son would be a victim of murder.
Few can understand my grief and no one should have to endure the same heartache that I have experienced.
Had he been alive, Tanner would be 21-years-old, finishing his studies in fitness and making a positive impact in the lives of every person he met.
Tanner was my only son and life will never be the same without him. Tanner deserves justice.
If you have any information about Tanner’s death, no matter how small or insignificant you may think it is, I’m pleading with you as a mother who has lost her only precious son to please come forward.
Please contact IHIT or Crime Stoppers if you wish to remain anonymous. Any piece of information is important.
–With files from Global News’ Jon Azpiri
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