A man convicted in the high-profile Surrey Six murder case has failed again in his ongoing legal fight to overturn the verdict. Cody Rae Haevischer appeared in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on July 22, where his application to block key video evidence was denied.
The court dismissed Haevischer’s request to stop the Crown from using more than 200 hours of security footage. The videos were taken in 2009 at the Surrey Pre-trial Services Centre, specifically in the medical isolation unit where Haevischer was held.
Justice Martha Devlin ruled that the footage could help address ongoing issues in the case. “I am satisfied on the submissions of Crown counsel that the footage may be probative of live issues in this case,” she said. The videos, recorded between June 4 and June 17, 2009, show 14 separate sessions. Devlin also ruled that the footage would not unfairly harm Haevischer’s case.
Haevischer is asking the court for a judicial stay of proceedings. He argues that serious abuse of process took place during the original trial. The evidentiary hearing for his stay request started on November 4, 2024, and is still in progress.
The Surrey Six murder case shocked Canada in 2007. On October 19, six men were killed in a high-rise apartment in Whalley. Suite 1505 at the Balmoral Tower became the scene of a brutal gang-related shooting.
According to prosecutors, the murders were planned as a gang hit over unpaid debts. Two of the victims, 55-year-old gasfitter Ed Shellenberg and 22-year-old Christopher Mohan, were not involved in the conflict. Both were in the wrong place at the wrong time and died alongside the intended targets.
The other four victims were Edward Narong, 22; Ryan Bartolomeo, 19; and brothers Michael Lal, 26, and Corey Lal, 21. All had ties to organized crime, according to past investigations.
On February 20, 2025, Justice Devlin also denied another of Haevischer’s requests. His legal team had asked for permission to cross-examine nine witnesses from the defence. The judge called the request “premature,” suggesting that it may be considered at a later stage if appropriate.
In the current appeal, Haevischer claims that officials involved in the case acted wrongly. He alleges that police, prosecutors, and prison staff committed misconduct during the investigation and legal process. His legal team argues that authorities used unfair tactics, including attempts to pressure his criminal associates and their partners to cooperate with police.
The court is still hearing evidence on these claims, and no final decision has been made on whether the case will be reopened.
Haevischer was originally convicted in 2014 along with another gang member. Both were found guilty of six counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. They received life sentences with no chance of parole for 25 years.
The Surrey Six murder case remains one of the most notorious gang-related crimes in Canadian history. The ongoing legal appeals continue to draw public interest due to the scale of the killings and the complex legal issues involved.
As of now, the security footage remains part of the court record. The judge’s decision to allow it may play a key role in how the abuse of process claim is resolved.
