Final suspect returned to Winnipeg in 2024 homicide investigation

This report contains details related to violence and trauma that may be distressing for some readers.

Winnipeg – NATIONAL NEWS – A final suspect has been taken into custody in the homicide of 22-year-old Zeyad Shammo, an Ontario man whose death was first investigated in Winnipeg in September 2024. Winnipeg police say Chad Jason Dandan, 25, was arrested March 26 in Surrey, B.C., on a Canada-wide warrant and has since been returned to Winnipeg, where he remains in custody. For NetNewsLedger readers in Northwestern Ontario, the case is another example of how major violent-crime investigations can stretch across provincial lines and rely on co-ordinated police work.

Third accused arrested after interprovincial investigation

Winnipeg Police Service says its Major Crimes Unit continued the investigation with help from the Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit. Police said the arrest in Surrey was made with assistance from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia and the BOLO Program. Dandan has been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and extortion.

Police allege the case began on Sept. 10, 2024, when officers responded to the 300 block of Bridge Lake Drive for a report that an adult man had been abducted the day before. Investigators later located a deceased man in a residence in the 100 block of Bristol Avenue in the early hours of Sept. 13, 2024. The victim was identified as Shammo.

Two other accused were charged earlier

Police previously announced charges against Sonny Balemba, 26, and Robert James Chaykowski, 26, both of Winnipeg. Both were charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and extortion. Chaykowski was also charged with four counts of failing to comply with a release order. Police said both men were detained in custody.

Criminal Code sections and potential penalties

Under the Criminal Code, murder is classified under section 231, and section 231(5) states that a murder is first degree when a death is caused while committing or attempting to commit kidnapping. Section 235 requires a life sentence for murder, while section 745 sets parole ineligibility for first-degree murder at 25 years. That means a conviction for first-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence.

Kidnapping is set out in section 279(1), which covers taking or confining a person against their will, transporting them out of Canada against their will, or holding them for ransom or service. Section 279(1.1) makes it an indictable offence punishable by up to life imprisonment, with higher minimum penalties in some firearm or child-victim cases.

Extortion is defined in section 346(1) as using threats, accusations, menaces or violence to induce a person to do something in order to obtain anything. Section 346(1.1) makes extortion an indictable offence punishable by up to life imprisonment, with firearm-related minimum penalties in specified circumstances.

Failing to comply with a release order falls under section 145(5) of the Criminal Code. That offence can be prosecuted by indictment, with a maximum penalty of two years in prison, or by summary conviction, depending on how the Crown proceeds. Actual outcomes in any case depend on the facts proven in court, the offender’s record and the sentencing judge’s findings.

Presumption of innocence remains in place

All charges in this case remain allegations until they are tested in court. As with any criminal matter in Canada, each accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Why this case matters beyond Manitoba

The arrest in British Columbia and transfer back to Manitoba show the reach of Canada-wide warrants and the way major cases can depend on multiple police agencies working together. That broader national co-operation is relevant in Northwestern Ontario as well, where Winnipeg remains an important western hub for transportation, courts and policing intelligence across provincial boundaries. This last point is an inference based on the cross-province agencies involved in the arrest and return of the accused.