Surrey mom takes stand for justice reform
A Surrey mother is calling for systemic justice reform nearly three years after the tragic murder of her daughter and her daughter’s fiancé. Christine Angelis, from Cloverdale, says she has been left waiting endlessly for answers and is now taking her fight public.
The 2022 double homicide
On October 17, 2022, 24-year-old Keisha Garie and her fiancé Umair Kasim, 30, were found dead inside a vehicle near Burnaby’s École Alpha Secondary School. The couple, residents of Coquitlam, had been reported missing days earlier.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) confirmed last week that the case remains “open and active,” but no charges have been laid.
A mother’s pain
“I am just trying to keep my head above water every single day, and the only thing that keeps me going is just trying to fight for her,” Angelis said.
She described the frustration of being told repeatedly to “hang on” without clear answers. “It’s very, very hard because you’re looking for answers, and you just get told to wait … from one month to the next.”
Protest planned at Surrey court
Determined to push for change, Angelis has organized a protest rally outside Surrey provincial court on September 29 at 11 a.m.
“This is not just for Keisha and Umair,” she said. “It’s for anyone who has lost a loved one to murder, and for those who feel the justice system has failed them.”
She hopes the rally will highlight systemic flaws and serve as a call for awareness: “Everyone knows our system is completely flawed, and the only way to change this is by numbers, by people getting together and supporting one another.”
Community support
Updates on the rally will be posted in the Facebook group Unsolved Homicide Justice for Keisha.
IHIT continues to seek public assistance. Anyone with information is urged to contact the IHIT information line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or email ihitinfo@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
