IHIT seeks footage of Marrisa Shen's vigil and funeral as timeline of homicide narrows
Police have identified over 90 persons of interest and are following up on nearly 200 tips
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team is seeking footage from the media and public from Marrisa Shen's funeral and vigil as it continues to investigate the murder of the 13-year-old Burnaby girl five weeks ago.
Shen was seen on surveillance footage leaving her home near Central Park in Burnaby, B.C. on July 18 at around 6 p.m. PT. Her body was found in the park early the next morning at around 1 a.m.
Investigators had previously asked anyone who may have seen Shen on July 18 between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m. to contact them. They have now narrowed that timeline, having established Shen's last whereabouts at 7:38 p.m., when she was seen walking westbound on the south side of Central Boulevard and crossing McKay Avenue.
"This is a massive investigation and there's many avenues that are being pursued right now," said Cpl. Meghan Foster.
In addition to narrowing the timeline of her disappearance, IHIT and Burnaby RCMP say they have identified more than 90 persons of interest and are following up on nearly 200 tips.
Foster clarified that "person of interest" means anyone with information that might help further the investigation — not "suspect."
Police are also reviewing thousands of hours of video footage collected from more than 60 locations.
Now, they are asking the media and any member of the public to provide video footage from Shen's vigil that occurred in Burnaby's Central Park on July 22, 2017, and from her funeral that occurred at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver on July 28, 2017.
Foster said police continue to believe Shen's homicide was random and took place in Burnaby's Central Park.
The homicide prompted Burnaby RCMP to increase patrols in and around the 86-hectare park, including uniformed and plainclothes officers and bike patrols to access remote terrain.