Five men arrested and charged with murder in connection to Troy Gold homicide

The 35-year-old Gold’s remains were found in the Lac Du Bois grasslands in Kamloops in November 2018. He was last seen on Oct. 1 of that year and a few days later Kamloops RCMP announced they believed foul play to be involved in his disappearance.

After the remains were discovered, Kamloops RCMP searched the grasslands and a home in Brocklehurst in connection to the case.

Nathan Townsend (l) and Konaam Shirzad (r). (Image Credit: Facebook)

“Crimes that occur in the drug underworld present unique challenges for investigators. In this community, even victims and their friends refuse to co-operate with police,” Kamloops RCMP Serious Crime Unit Staff Sgt. Simon Pillay says. “While our investigative teams are very skilled at obtaining co-operation and evidence needed to advance these types of cases, even long-standing participants in the local drug trade found Troy’s death (to) be grossly unnecessary and many people were more willing to co-operate because of this. It was with the co-operation of several important witnesses, traditional and non-traditional investigative techniques, support from other teams, units and agencies and endless determination that we have brought this case to this stage.

“I hope this serves as a lesson to drug traffickers in our community that violence, regardless of whom it occurs to, will not be tolerated and the Kamloops RCMP remain committed to holding those responsible accountable.”

Gold had a lengthy history of offences across the province, including a manslaughter conviction in 2004, when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing Martin Cotey. Gold stabbed Cotey to death on a Penticton beach in 2001.

Troy Gold. (Image Credit: Facebook)

Shortly after Gold’s disappearance was deemed a murder investigation, police said they believed his death to be tied to the drug trade.

Townsend is an associate of Konaam Shirzad — the co-founder of the Red Scorpions gang who was gunned down in Kamloops in September 2017. His death left a void in the Kamloops drug trade and set off a chain of violent events across the city.

According to court documents Townsend has been charged in the past with possession for the purpose of trafficking, arson damaging property, uttering threats, and criminal harassment. His co-accused in the Gold homicide case, Jayden Eustache, has a prior conviction of aggravated assault and has also faced other violent charges over the years including assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, break and enter, and several breaches.

Darian Rohel has gone to trial on several charges of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. In 2010, the Kamloops Daily News spoke to Rohel who had said he was clean and sober while volunteering for the annual homeless count.

John Daviss is currently facing charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, and is due in court at the end of the month.

Earlier this month, an in-camera hearing took place in regards to the Gold investigation, for an application to extend the detention of items seized from Jason Robertson during a search warrant execution.

Due to the nature of the hearing, nobody other than Robertson, his lawyer, the Crown prosecutor and Justice Len Marchand could be present in the courtroom.

“This is an exhibit detention hearing regarding the Troy Gold homicide investigation,” Pillay told CFJC Today outside the courtroom at the time. “This investigation is still a priority case for Kamloops Serious Crimes.”

There has been no evidence made public about any connection between Robertson and Gold, and Robertson is not facing any charges in connection to the investigation. It’s not clear what items have been seized from Robertson.

In 2018, Robertson was convicted of several offences in relation to a 2014 RCMP search of his home.

Originally charged with dozens of offences, a judge ruled in 2016 that parts of the search resulted in his Charter rights being breached, and the list of charges against Robertson dwindled down.

There have been no public allegations made about Robertson’s involvement with the Gold homicide.

by Ashley Legassic

Five men arrested and charged with murder in connection to Troy Gold homicide

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