British Columbia

Man charged in stabbing death of woman in South Vancouver

A Burnaby man has been charged in the stabbing death of a woman in South Vancouver in early April.

Eric Lau, 29, charged with murder of Gertrude Cheong, 49; victim and accused knew each other, police say

Investigators stand in front of a white tent with police tape cordoning off a black car.
A man has been charged in the death of a woman who was found near Fraserview Golf Course in Vancouver on April 3. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

A man has been charged in the stabbing death of a woman in South Vancouver in early April.

Vancouver resident Gertrude Cheong, 49, died after she was found lying on the ground by police near Fraserview Golf Course on April 3.

Officers had responded to reports of screams and a person lying on Rosemont Drive around 6 a.m. PT, according to Insp. Mike Rowe, who leads the Vancouver Police Department's major crimes unit.

Eric Lau, a 29-year-old man from Burnaby, B.C., has now been charged with second-degree murder in the case, police said.

"This is a major development in a very public murder that understandably caused fear, anxiety and speculation throughout our community," Rowe told reporters Tuesday. 

A police officer with a grey beard stands at a podium as he holds a news conference.
Vancouver Police Department Insp. Mike Rowe says the fatal stabbing was not a random attack. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Police say the victim and the accused knew each other but did not provide any other details. 

"But I can say with certainty that this was not a random attack," Rowe said.

He added that investigators don't believe this stabbing is tied to any other violent crimes in Vancouver.

Lau remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in provincial court in Vancouver on May 6.

A wideshot image of a residential street with almost a dozen police investigators and a white tent.
Police have identified the victim in the fatal stabbing as 49-year-old Gertrude Cheong. (Ben Nelms/CBC)