Man charged with murder after ‘suspicious death’ at Vancouver Island home

A Saanich Police Department vehicle. (Saanich Police / Twitter)

A man has been charged with murder after a “suspicious death” at a home in Saanich last week, according to authorities.

Muhammed Basar was charged in the killing on Friday, an update from the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit said. Basar remains in custody and is next scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 21.

The person was found dead at a home in the 1600 block of Blair Avenue on Jan. 5, and a suspect was arrested that day, according to the Saanich police.

“Due to the early stages of the investigation, charges were not sworn, and the suspect was released without charge on Jan. 6, 2026. While the suspect was in the community, measures were taken to ensure he was not a danger to himself or others,” a statement from the Saanich Police Department said.

Saanich Police Department Chief Const. Dean Duthie also praised the work of the officers involved in the investigation, saying it was an “outstanding example of sound collaboration and co-ordination by all parties on a very complex and sensitive investigation.”

Police did not, however, provide any information about the victim or the circumstances of the alleged murder other than to say it was an “isolated incident.”

According to publicly available court records, the case has been designated as a “K” file which the B.C. Prosecution Service uses to identify “every intimate partner violence case approved for prosecution.”