Man, 23, faces four charges of first-degree murder in Markham
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A man has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder after after police found four bodies in a Markham home on Sunday afternoon.
“These are the most serious offences and the man is in custody,” Const. Andy Pattenden said at the scene Monday morning.
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Man, 23, faces four charges of first-degree murder in Markham Back to video
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Menhaz Zaman, 23, of Markham, is accused of killing three adult women and an adult male.
Zaman was arrested at the front door of the residence on Castlemore Ave., near Mingus Ave., when police responded around 3 p.m. to a 911 call reporting possible multiple injuries. Police aren’t saying where the call originated.
“We located a man at the front door who was taken into custody. There were four deceased in the home that weren’t taken to hospital,” Pattenden said.
“The scene will be held for some time and the identification of victims will take some time.”
Pattenden wouldn’t say what or if there was a relationship between the accused and the victims.
“Until we have identification from the coroner, we won’t provide any relationship,” he said, adding police also wouldn’t comment on the injuries or cause of death.
Zaman allegedly sent his murder plans, as well as photos of the crime online to another player of the fantasy game Perfect World Void, according to CityNews.
He posted that he had planned to murders for three years and that he was depressed because he was flunking out at university.
“First mom, then granny, then sister and lastly dad,” he wrote.
His last post said, “the police are here, goodbye.”
Pattenden refused to comment on the online activity.
Ammara Riaz was a basement tenant at the home for seven years until the summer of 2018. She said she is shocked at the charges.
“Menhaz was so sweet. He was a very nice guy and so helpful,” Riaz said of outside the murder scene of the young man, who she said had been studying engineering at York University.
During the time she was a tenant, Riaz said Zaman lived with his parents, sister and grandmother.
She said there could be violent arguments in the family – mainly between the mother and daughter – but she wasn’t aware what they were about because of a language barrier.
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Riaz said because of the fights, police had to be called on at least two occasions.
“There was a lot of yelling and sometimes it scared me,” Riaz said. “Mumtaz (the mother) was always in charge and would complain about her daughter. She would treat me like a sister, but one time she had a fight with me for talking to the neighbours.”
Riaz said she was last at the home on June 25 when Mumtaz invited her to the parents’ 25th wedding anniversary.
Zaman made a brief appearance Monday at Newmarket court where he he didn’t speak and was banned from contacting any members of his family.
He was remanded and his next court appearance is Aug. 2.
Det. Nick Hill said outside court that police won’t know how long the victims had been deceased in the home until the autopsy has been completed.
“We can believe who they are but until the autopsy we can’t say,” Hill said.
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