Triple homicide of Regina Karen family still a mystery 5 years later
Cousin of slain Karen family asking killer to do the right thing and come forward
It's been five long years since a young Karen family was found dead in their Regina home and the search for their killer or killers continue.
On Thursday, the Regina Police Service provided an update on the triple-homicide case, confirming that a $50,000 reward continues for information that would help investigators solve it.
Police also said the case has been reassigned to the cold case unit, which means it remains open but only one investigator will be working on it.
Family came from region of conflict
Gray Nay Htoo, 31, and his wife Maw Maw, 28, came to Canada in search of a better life. They were members of the Karen ethnic group in Burma and fled decades-long conflict.
The couple lived in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Burma border before being accepted as refugees by Canada in 2008.
The family moved to Canada with their baby, Seven June, and two years later family members said Maw Maw was pregnant with her second child.
The family was found dead in their Regina home on Aug. 6, 2010. At the time, police interviewed almost everyone in the tight-knit Burmese community, often through the use of a translator.
Struggling to find a suspect
Over the past five years, as many as 25 Regina police investigators and several RCMP investigators have worked on the case, but police have not been able to gather enough information to press charges.
Last year, police offered a reward of $50,000 hoping to encourage someone to come forward with information, but so far no one has collected that money.
K'nyaw Htoo, Gray Nay Htoo's cousin, remembers his relative as a good father who took care of his family.
He worked at Crown Shred and Recycling and K'nyaw said even though money was tight sometimes, he never dipped into the money he was saving for his three-year-old son's education.
That's why he came here with his family so they could have a better life.- K'nyaw Htoo, Cousin of Gray Nay Htoo
"That's why he came here with his family: so they could have a better life and when his kid grows up he can go to University or be whatever he wants to be," K'nyaw Htoo said.
Htoo said the past five years have been hard on him and other members of the tight-knit Karen community.
"When I found out he was dead, I was shocked and at the same time I was so scared and I felt so mad."
Ready to forgive
Htoo said it changed the way he felt about his community because everyone was seen as a suspect. However, Htoo said he has allowed himself to trust again and is even offering forgiveness to the person or people responsible for his cousin's homicide.
"Whoever did this, I'm not hating anymore," he said. "We are all human. Everyone do mistakes."
Whoever did this, I'm not hating anymore. We are all human, everyone do mistakes.- K'nyaw Htoo, cousin of Gray Nay Htoo
Htoo said most of his young life was spent hiding from military in the jungles of Burma. "It was all because of hate. Instead of hate, why don't we give love, because all humans need love."
Htoo is asking anyone with information for help by going to the police.
"This is your own people. Love can give you peace for life, that's what I believe."