Richard Edwin is a killer who was convicted of two murders in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
According to court documents Richard Edwin would shoot Kartik Vasudev multiple times as the twenty one year old was headed to Sherbourne Station. Kartik Vasudev was walking by Edwin when the gunman would open fire shooting him several times with his back turned
Two days later Richard Edwin would shoot Elijah Mahepath as he past him on a Toronto street. Elijah would be rushed to the hospital however would die from his injuries
Toronto police would testify that there was no links between Elijah Mahepath ,Kartik Vasudev and Richard Edwin
Richard Edwin would be arrested and charged with two counts of first degree murder.
Edwin lawyers attempted to prove that their client was not mentally responsible for the double murder however the judge felt differently and convicted him of two counts of first degree murder
Edwin would be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for twenty five years, the maximum sentence in Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada does not allow parole eligibility to extend past twenty five years.
Richard Edwin Case
A man who shot and killed two strangers in Toronto in April 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Richard Edwin’s sentencing came a day after he was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Elijah Mahepath and Kartik Vasudev.
In her decision, Justice Jane Kelly said the murders were planned and deliberate.
Vasudev, who was on his way to work, was shot several times on April 7, 2022, at an entrance to Sherbourne Station. The 21-year-old, who was a student at Seneca College, later died in the hospital.
According to the court decision, Edwin travelled to the station in possession of a loaded firearm. Vasudev was walking along the sidewalk past the station towards the staircase when Edwin walked towards him.
“Mr. Edwin rushed past Mr. Vasudev and then turned to face his back. He withdrew his firearm and discharged it several times as Mr. Vasudev was walking away,” the court decision read.
After Vasudev fell to the ground, “Edwin ran south on Glen Road, turned around, stopped, faced Vasudev and shot in his direction several more times,” the decision stated.
Two days later, Edwin left his home with the same loaded firearm. According to the court decision, as he was walking on Dundas Street, near George Street, Edwin withdrew the firearm and discharged it several times in the direction of Mahepath as he walked past him.
“Mr. Mahepath fell to the ground. Mr. Edwin continued to shoot in his direction,” the court decision read.
Mahepath later died in hospital.
Justice Kelly rejected the defence that Edwin was not criminally responsible on account of a mental disorder. He was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in 2010.
Kelly concluded that she was not satisfied that the mental disorder rendered Edwin incapable of knowing that his actions were morally wrong.
“I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Edwin planned to kill a stranger on April 9, 2022, by shooting them. He deliberated on that plan. It was ‘carefully thought out’ and ‘considered’ before it was implemented,” Kelly wrote in her decision.
“It is my view that the evidence of Mr. Edwin’s mental disorder does not raise a reasonable doubt as to whether either of the murders was planned and deliberate.”
Edwin did not testify during his trial.
The family of Elijah Mahepath said they were relieved about the conviction in an interview with CP24 earlier on Tuesday.
Monica, Mahepath’s adopted mom, told CP24 outside court on Tuesday before the sentencing that she is still grieving his death.
“We lost a very good guy who could have been anything he wanted in this world,” said Monica as she was holding a picture of Mahepath.
She still cannot understand why someone could shoot her son from behind.
“Why would somebody do that?” Monica asked. “I don’t understand it. I’m still trying to digest that. Why? I really don’t know why.”
April 2022 Toronto shootings: man guilty of first-degree murder gets life in prison
