Family offers 10K reward in 2009 shooting

The family of a Surrey homicide victim is marking the second anniversary of his death with a public appeal for witnesses and a $10,000-reward.

Christopher Roy Whitmee, 34, was shot and killed at the Legacy Show Lounge, near 176th Street and 57th Avenue, in Cloverdale in 2009.

Police say Whitmee had no connections to drugs, gangs or organized crime. He was not the intended target of the shooting, police say, but was an innocent bystander.

His daughter Lexus Burkholder-Whitmee, now 11, spoke to reporters Saturday as the family put up flyers advertising a reward in exchange for information about his death.

"There's gotta be somebody that knows," she said.

"There's no way that nobody that knows cause if somebody physically did that, he's gotta have told his girlfriend or friend. I just hope somebody has the decency to tell somebody about it and hopefully tell the police so they could solve it."

She described her father as a fun dad who used to do everything with her.

"It just sucks because I'll go to soccer games and he won't be able to be there. Just small things like that that really affect me."

Police are asking anyone who was in the Legacy Show Lounge at the time to come forward.

"We are at a point in the investigation where we need help from the community," said RCMP Cpl. Dale Carr.

"Anybody that has information about the murder of Christopher Whitmee, we need them to call the IHIT [Integrated Homicide Investigation Team] tip line."

Investigators say even a seemingly small piece of information can often unlock a vital clue.

Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-4448 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.