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The man who plead guilty for the 2011 murder of Simon Fraser University (SFU) student Maple Batalia has been sentenced to life in prison.
Just after 1:00 a.m. on September 28th, 2011 police were called to a parking lot near the SFU Surrey Campus in the area of 134th and 102nd Avenue after reports of shots fired. When police arrived at the scene, they found 19-year-old Maple Batalia, who had been shot walking to her car. The young student was rushed to hospital, where she later died.
Just over a year later, two males were arrested in connection with the brutal attack. One of the men was 24-year-old Gurjinder Dhaliwal, an ex-boyfriend of Batalia.
In late February, 2016, Dhaliwal pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder and was sentenced Monday, March 7th. He received life in prison with no possibility of parole for 21 years.
Integrated Homicide Investigations Team (IHIT) Sergeant, Stephanie Ashton applauded the work of IHIT during this case.
“IHIT investigators, in conjunction with Crown Counsel, worked tirelessly to secure all of the evidence relevant to this tragic case. A guilty plea, in any homicide investigation, speaks to the efforts and dedication by all agencies involved.”
The second man is facing charges of Manslaughter and Accessory after the Fact in connection with Batalia’s death. His case is still before the courts.