Police believe these suspects wanted in Hamilton murder have fled the country
Hamilton police confirmed they're investigating whether a young Toronto couple wanted for murder in a shooting behind an industrial building last month fled the country.
Oliver Karafa, 28, and Yun (Lucy) Lu Li, 25, are wanted for first-degree murder and attempted murder in the Feb. 28 shooting that left a 26-year-old woman seriously hurt and 39-year-old Tyler Pratt dead.
We are aware of some information out there that they may have fled the country," said Staff Sgt. Jim Callender of the major crime unit.
Police believe they fled within 24 hours of the shooting, before police secured arrest warrants and released their images publicly. Now Hamilton police are working with Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP - Canada's connection to Interpol - to help find the pair.
There is a big drive on the investigative side to locate and return them to the justice system," Callender said.
Both of the accused have international ties and access to money. Karafa is originally from Slovakia. He was sentenced to nearly five years in prison in 2014 for killing a friend, David Chiang, in a drunk driving crash. Li is a triplet and the daughter of a high-profile Chinese-Canadian businessperson. Her family recently released a statement to Chinese-language media where they offer condolences to the victims and call on Li to co-operate with authorities.
The investigation is looking closely at their backgrounds and businesses they may have been involved with, including businesses connected to Karafa online, Callender said.
Police believe there was just one shooter and one gun involved. The murder weapon has not been found. Callender won't say who is alleged to have pulled the trigger.
There was some sort of planning or deliberation," he said. Both victims were targeted.
Investigators have a good idea of why the four were meeting that day and what led to the shooting, but Callender said he won't provide details on the motive because that is evidence in the court case.
He's previously described the four as associates." They had known each other maybe a year or so," he said.
Callender confirmed that Pratt and Karafa would have spoken before the victim came to Ontario. Pratt is from British Columbia, but had been looking to move to the Greater Toronto Area at the time he was killed. An entrepreneur, Pratt was looking at opening businesses in the area.
That was his purpose for moving from B.C. to Ontario," Callender said.
The shooting happened around 7:15 p.m. Feb. 28 behind 347 Arvin Ave. The 26-year-old woman managed to walk out front where witnesses stopped and called for help. Police then found Pratt in a paved area between the main building and a secondary warehouse-type building at the back.
The woman has since been released from hospital and continues to recover.
Police don't know why they met in Hamilton. None of them had a connection to that business. However, it was closed that Sunday and isolated with no direct witnesses. Callender said that spot fit the needs" of why they were meeting.
A white Land Rover, seen fleeing from the scene, was later recovered in the GTA. Another car was found somewhere in Hamilton, not at the crime scene. Did one of the suspects steal the victim's car and dump it at another location? Callender wouldn't say exactly what police believe happened, but no one else was involved in the shooting and neither of the victims drove the car.
The biggest focus right now remains finding Karafa and Li. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. David Tsuchida at 905-546-4123.
To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com.
Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com