Man sentenced for 2021 murder of girlfriend inside Metrotown parkade

Melissa Blimkie is seen in this undated graduation photo. (IHIT handout)

The man who stabbed his girlfriend to death in the parking garage at Metrotown mall in 2021 has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 12 years.

Everton Javaun Downey was convicted of second-degree murder last August, and he received his sentence on Friday.

The conviction stems from the Dec. 19, 2021 killing of 25-year-old Melissa Blimkie, whom Downey had been in a relationship with “for some time” prior to the homicide, according to police.

The North Vancouver couple had planned to go Christmas shopping the morning of the murder, according to B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes’ decision convicting Downey of the crime.

The court heard Downey stabbed Blimkie 15 times with a folded knife. Bystanders found her crying out and bleeding in the parkade stairwell and despite “prompt medical intervention,” the 25-year-old did not survive.

During the trial, Downey acknowledged that he had killed Blimkie and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Holmes convicted him of second-degree murder, finding he had the required intent to kill Blimkie, despite his claims to the contrary.

• Read more: Man who stabbed girlfriend in Metrotown parking lot found guilty of 2nd-degree murder

Murder convictions in Canada come with a mandatory life sentence. The only decision Holmes had to make when sentencing Downey was when to set parole eligibility.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team shared the sentence in a news release Tuesday, noting that Holmes had also imposed a lifetime firearms prohibition and a DNA order on Downey.

“This was a tragic instance of intimate partner violence that has had a devastating impact on Melissa’s family and her community,” said Cpl. Esther Tupper, in the release.

“IHIT would like to thank the Burnaby RCMP, the B.C. Coroners Service, and the B.C. Prosecution Service for their work throughout this investigation. Our thoughts are with Melissa’s family and friends at this time.”

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Kaija Jussinoja