VANCOUVER — Investigators are still trying to determine a motive in the double murder six weeks ago of a couple in their home, Vancouver's police chief said Wednesday.
Chief Const. Adam Palmer said 25-year-old Rocky Kam remains in custody after being charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Dianna Mah-Jones and Richard Jones on Sept. 27.
"I truly hope today's announcement will bring a sense of relief for the family and friends of the victims," Palmer said at a news conference.
More than 200 officers and staff were involved in the investigation, Palmer said, and police received over 100 sources of video footage and tips from the public.
No evidence has been found connecting the accused with the victims and it is possible the attack was random, he said.
"The relationship between the victims, if any, and the accused remains unclear. Investigators are trying to piece together a motive for these crimes," he said.
Palmer said Kam was born in Hong Kong, immigrated to Calgary with his family as a teenager and has been in Vancouver since July.
He was arrested at a residence not far from where the crimes happened, Palmer said.
Kam has no criminal record or known mental health issues, he said. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Mah-Jones was a highly respected occupational therapist who worked at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre and Vancouver General Hospital, says Vancouver Coastal Health. She was also a clinical associate professor in occupational science and occupational therapy at the University of British Columbia.
Mah-Jones spent 35 years working with Vancouver Coastal Health and was named outstanding occupational therapist of the year in 2015 by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists BC. She was also celebrated as a provincial health care hero at the BC Health Care Awards in June.
The health authority said Mah-Jones would "think outside the box" to come up with solutions for her patients' needs. In one case, she designed and built a device that uses pulleys and levers to help a patient who had physical challenges to feed himself.
"Dianna will be remembered as someone who went above and beyond to make a difference for her patients and missed by all who knew her," Vancouver Coastal Health said in a recent news release.
There is nothing in the victims' backgrounds that suggests they would be targeted, Palmer said.
"They were upstanding people just going about their lives causing no trouble for anybody."
