FBI investigators from the United States have joined a new task force investigating the 13-year-old homicide of Victoria real estate agent Lindsay Buziak, but the woman’s father calls news of the involvement a public relations stunt.
“It’s a good PR campaign by the Saanich police,” said father Jeff Buziak of Calgary. “We’ve heard something from them every year about what they’re going to do and how they’re going to do it, and nothing’s happened in 13 years.”
Buziak is in Victoria to mark the death of his daughter’s unsolved murder. Amid pandemic restrictions on gatherings, he’ll to do his annual Walk for Justice today alone or with his remaining daughter. He will leave from Saanich municipal hall at 10 a.m. to march to the B.C. legislature.
He has been highly critical of the way police have handled the case.
Lindsay Buziak, 24 at the time, was fatally stabbed on Feb. 2, 2008, after being lured to a supposed showing of an upscale property at 1702 De Sousa Pl. in the Gordon Head area of Saanich.
Saanich police Const. Markus Anastasiades said a new team of investigators are probing the case, including representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as continued support from RCMP. “They offered their assistance,” Anastasiades said.
New investigators are re-interviewing people. “It is not too late to come forward,” Anastasiades said.
Technology developed since Buziak’s death has highlighted additional leads and forensic evidence, said Anastasiades. He cited advancements in genealogy and DNA analysis.
“The FBI is a resource that has solved cases using that new technology, new resources,” said Anastasiades, referring to use of genetic genealogy. “We are utilizing all available resources — in this case, the FBI — to advance the investigation and bring those responsible for Lindsay’s death to justice.”
B.C. RCMP Cpl. Chris Manseau said use of genetic technology is potentially an important and reliable new investigative technique that will help advance serious crime investigations such as homicide. RCMP national headquarters is working with justice partners in assessing the viability and legality of using genetic genealogy techniques, Manseau said.
Rob Gordon of Simon Fraser University’s School of Criminology said he’s puzzled by the FBI’s involvement noting it’s not as if they have “magical special powers of investigation or special equipment.” The RCMP also has a forensics lab to do DNA analysis.
Involvement between the FBI and Saanich police began last year, Anastasiades confirmed.
“That’s old news for me,” said Buziak.
Almost a year ago Buziak, who has been trying to solve the case alongside police, was put in contact with Jim Clemente, a retired FBI supervisory special agent and profiler who is a producer with the CBS television show Criminal Minds. Clemente offered to put Saanich police in contact with FBI agents, said Buziak.
Buziak hasn’t heard any updates except “police have put out a nice PR video because I arrived in the city,” he said of a police video released Monday.
“We need results from Saanich police, not words,” said Buziak. “We need them to arrest and charge people really soon or to back away and let another agency take over. They’ve had more than enough time.”
These details about the case have been released by Saanich police.
On Feb. 2, 2008, Lindsay Buziak received a call from a woman with a foreign accent, who wanted to schedule a showing for a house about 5:30 p.m., seemingly eager to buy that day. Later, Buziak got a call from a man who identified himself as the woman’s husband. He said he’d meet with her alone. Nervous about the appointment, Buziak asked her live-in boyfriend Jason Zailo, also a real estate agent, to check on her at the house.
Police received a 911 call from Zailo and a friend outside the house and a second 911 call from inside the house. Her boyfriend entered the home shortly after her murder and called police. Buziak was found in the home’s empty master bedroom. Police believe the attack took place between 5:38 p.m. and 5:41 p.m.
A cellphone linked to the unidentified couple was registered to a fake name in Metro Vancouver.
Police have never confirmed if they have the murder weapon.
“We know there is likely information that has not been shared,” Anastasiades says in the police video statement. “We believe people familiar with the circumstances surrounding this case remain in the community.”
> Saanich police can be contacted at 250-475-4356 or toll free at 1-888-980-1919, or online at saanichpolice.ca/index.php/lindsay- buziak-investigation.html.
