Reeyaz Habib’s family, friends and neighbours expressed grief and confusion in a downtown Toronto courtroom Wednesday at the sentencing hearing for a Liberty Village couple convicted in the killing of the 53-year-old filmmaker.
asserted
family → express → filmmaker
It’s shameful that a life so rich in texture, meaning, teaching, exploration, storytelling and love must now be looked at through the shroud of murder,” Habib’s brother-in-law, Roberto Cabrera, said in a victim impact statement.
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brother → ’ → statement
The 53-year-old’s decomposing body was found in a garbage compactor in the underground parkade of the condominium complex where he lived on June 8, 2023.
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he → decompose → June
The following day, Habib was reported missing.
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Habib → report → ?
Police had not yet identified the body found in the dumpster.
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Police → identify → dumpster
In June, Khoa Tran, 36, was convicted of second-degree murder.
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Tran → convict → murder
His wife, Quynh (Isabelle) Nguyen, 30, was convicted of being an accessory after the fact to manslaughter and of committing an indignity to a body following a jury trial.
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wife → convict → trial
Tran and Nguyen lived in a condo on the main floor of a multi-level townhouse at 26 Western Battery Rd.
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Tran → live → Rd
Habib lived in a two-storey townhouse directly above them.
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Habib → live → them
At trial, the jury heard there was tension in the weeks before the discovery of the body between Habib and Tran over Tran’s use of a barbecue.
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jury → hear → barbecue
Habib had complained that smoke from Tran’s barbecue was drifting onto his balcony.
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smoke → complain → balcony
The Crown told court it believes Tran went upstairs and killed his neighbour in the early morning hours of June 6, 2023.
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Tran → tell → June
“A life was taken.
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life → take → ?
For what?” said Salima Habib, the victim’s sister, in her victim impact statement.
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Habib → say → statement
She remembered her brother as a citizen of the world and a successful investment banker who left the business world to pursue filmmaking.
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who → remember → filmmaking
Habib obtained an MBA at the University of Toronto and later attended the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts before moving back to Toronto, where his sister said he was signed by an agent.
“He was finally beginning to make his dream a reality.
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dream → obtain → agent
He decided to direct his first feature film, ‘Fat Lady Sriracha,'” Salima said.
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Salima → decide → film
She said her brother was in the final stages of bringing the film to life when he was murdered and his body discarded.
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body → say → life
“I cannot comprehend it.
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I → comprehend → it
I cannot understand how a human life could be treated this way.
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life → understand → ?
My faith in society and in the human spirit has been deeply shaken.
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faith → shake → spirit
How does this happen?” she said.
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she → happen → ?
“How does a person like Reeyaz, someone whose life was dedicated to creating, helping, teaching, caring for his family and giving back, have his life taken from him in this way?” she wrote.
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she → dedicate → way
Patrick Smith told court through tears that he met Habib in Los Angeles in 2019 and the two became close friends.
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two → tell → 2019
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Smith said he suggested Habib return to Canada to attend the Canadian Film Centre, where Smith was an alumnus and mentor.
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Smith → get → Centre
“In my darkest days, I tell myself that he’d still be alive had I not encouraged him to move back to Toronto for the CFC.”
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I → tell → CFC
Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence.
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murder → carry → sentence
The judge must decide a period of parole ineligibility of between 10 and 25 years.
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judge → decide → years
Crown attorneys Nathaniel Smith and Ana Tenhouse told Superior Court Justice Philip Campbell that although Tran was convicted of second-degree murder, there was evidence of planning.
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Tran → tell → planning
They are seeking an 18-year period of parole ineligibility.
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They → seek → ineligibility
The Crown is also seeking a prison sentence of four to six years for Nguyen.
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Crown → seek → Nguyen
Smith said aggravating factors include the fact that Habib was killed in his own home and was vulnerable because he was attacked between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., when he would likely have been disoriented and defenceless.
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he → say → a.m.
Smith said Habib was killed in a sustained and violent beating.
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Habib → say → beating
“Your Honour heard evidence there were at least 34 injuries on his body, both pre- and post-death,” Smith said.
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Smith → hear → body
Because Habib’s body was already decomposed when it was discovered, the forensic pathologist was unable to determine a cause of death, he said.
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he → decompose → death
The Crown also argued there was evidence of planning, including that Lin Hua, a friend of the couple visiting from Vietnam, was moved into the marital bedroom on the night of the killing while Tran said he would be working in the living room.
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he → argue → room
“Tran had exclusive access to Habib.
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Tran → have → Habib
This was an unprovoked attack,” Smith said.
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Smith → say → ?
He also described Tran’s post-offence conduct as “extraordinary and calculated,” saying it unfolded over several days.
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it → describe → days
Smith said Tran disposed of Habib’s personal belongings to suggest he had fled and cleaned his home over two days.
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he → say → days
…and 34 more, not listed.
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