THE Integrated Homicide Investigation Team on Tuesday announced that they are seeking the public’s help to locate Donald Lyle Salahub, 44, who they say is a person of interest in the death of Michael Donald Amy, 34, of Abbotsford and may have information that would help to solve Amy’s murder.
Salahub is wanted on a Canada- wide warrant for violating his parole when he disappeared from a half-way house in February.
Amy’s body was found in a vehicle at about 9:50 a.m. on Friday, February 27 in the 9500 block of 139th Street of the City Centre area of Surrey. After an initial investigation it was determined the circumstances were suspicious at which point IHIT were called in.
Sgt. Stephanie Ashton said: “It is our belief at this time that this was not a random act.”
Police sources told The VOICE that though Abbotsford Police had had interaction with Amy, he was only convicted for mischief in relation to a 2011 case. There were as such no serious incidents involving him.
Salahub has connections across western Canada and has previously had dealings with police in the interior of British Columbia. He is originally from Manitoba. He is 5’11”, over 200 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes.
IHIT is asking anyone who may have information about Donald Salahub’s whereabouts to call the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or email ihittipline@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
If you wish to remain anonymous you can provide your anonymous tip information on the web at solvecrime.ca or by phone at 1-800-222-8477.
A local newspaper had earlier reported that Amy, who was also known as Mike Russell, was identified on social media as the brother of Edward “Skeeter” Russell of Surrey.
According to a March 2011 press release by the United States Attorney’s Office of the Western District Of Washington, he was one of the “seven members of a drug conspiracy with ties to the Hells Angels outlaw motorcycle gang” who were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment and probation for their roles in trafficking thousands of pounds of B.C. Bud marijuana and cocaine across the U.S. / Canada border.
The release said that Russell, “a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen was sentenced to 54 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine” and he and two others were “described as managers in a drug organization that moved thousands of pounds of marijuana south into the U.S. hidden in PVC pipe, hallowed out logs, wood chips and hidden compartments in tractor trailer rigs.”
You can read the full press release at:
http://www.justice.gov/usao/waw/press/2011/mar/york.html
