File # 2009-1745
2012-03-06 08:48 PST

Surrey: On March 6, 2009 Steven Dodd’s parents had the unimaginable task of removing their son from life support after he suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

Steven was 27 years old at the time of his murder. He was drug dependent and struggling to cope with sexual abuse that he suffered as a young boy.

He was always looking for ways to break free of his addiction and looked to his family for support regularly.

On February 27, 2009 Steven attended a crack shack in the 13000 block of 108 Avenue in Surrey. While there Steven was shot in the head. All of the witnesses fled the scene and Steven was transported to hospital where he remained on life support for several days.

IHIT took conduct of the investigation on March 6, 2009. Many people have been interviewed however the killer has yet to be identified and investigators are asking for the public’s assistance.

We know there were over a dozen people inside the crack shack at the time of Steven’s murder, many of them struggling with addiction themselves. Investigators are hopeful that witnesses may have made significant life changes and are in various stages of addiction recovery and in a better position, physically and mentally, to come forward with information that may assist investigators, says Sgt. Jennifer Pound. We want to ask those people to recognize how unfair and horrific this murder was and to come forward.

Steven’s parents, John and Silvana, very much wanted to speak with the media today and ask for the public’s help however, John has just received news that he has terminal cancer and only weeks to live. Although they are unable to physically attend to speak with the media they have asked that their speech be attached. (attached at the bottom of this media release.)

Silvana has undergone surgery and treatment for a number of heath complications since the death of her son, including surgery to replace deteriorating discs in her neck.

The stress of losing their son has taken its toll on John and Silvana and their heath has been on the decline since 2009 as the murder of their son is a constant weight they bear.

No parent should have to deal with the pain and suffering that this type of loss brings and we are asking for those that were there at the time of this shooting to come forward and help bring justice to the killer that has devastated this family, says Sgt. Jennifer Pound

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is asking anyone who may have information about this homicide to come forward and speak with investigators.

You can contact the IHIT tiplines by calling 1-877-551-IHIT(4448) or by email at ihittipline@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

If you wish to remain anonymous please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or visit their website at External link, opens in a new windowSolvecrime.ca

 

Speech for Steven:
Thanks for coming and hearing our story today. Three (3) years ago on March 6, 2009 a parent's worst nightmare came true. We have 4 sons and son #3 was found shot in the head in a home in Surrey. He survived for 1 week then succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

We believe this shooting was related to the lifestyle that Steven was living prior to his death. He was drug dependent and was struggling to beat this addiction on a daily basis and gain control of his life. He relied on his family for support in getting him through this illness and we saw Steven at his worst. We will never get to see Steven show his true potential that we all knew he had. We will never see him at his best again. His opportunity to become who we knew him to be and the family man that he wanted to become, was taken away from him.

We have always been a close-knit family. We had family get-togethers monthly and in spite of Steven's drug use he always managed to show up to the family functions and never missed them, adding much loud laughter.

Steven was sexually assaulted when he was 13 and after living with this alone and ashamed about it he finally told his family about the assault when he was 24 years old. At the time of the assault, at the age of 13, the assailant introduced him to the world of drugs. His drug use escalated and got out of control. This was how he managed and dealt with the abuse he suffered as a young boy. The need to have the drugs got the better of him and he was eventually led by his addiction.

Losing Steven like this has shattered our family unit. Not a day goes by that we don't think of him and miss him so much. Steven wasn't a gang member or a drug dealer, he was a drug addict and was in a fragile mental state.

The person or persons that did this to our Son are walking free out there somewhere. We know that somebody has information about who killed Steven and we are asking you to come forward to police. Anyone who knew him knows he didn’t deserve this. Anyone struggling like Steven was knows that murder is not warranted. We are asking that you do the right thing, make the right choice and come forward with information that will lead us to who is responsible for taking our son from us. We never gave up on him and we ask that you help us stay true to that.

Thank you for listening.

John and Silvana Dodd
-------------------------

Sgt. Jennifer Pound
Media Relations Officer
Integrated Homicide Investigation
Team( IHIT )
Office: (604) 598-4609
Cell: (604) 365-0543
Fax: (604) 543-4992
jennifer.pound@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Follow Sgt. Pound on twitter @SgtJennPound

Pro Inique Mortuis Justitia
(Justice for Those Who Have Died Unfairly

 

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