For three long years, I’ve stayed silent, holding back the truth about my brother Devon’s murder, hoping that the justice system would do its job. Investigators asked us not to share the details, saying it would protect the integrity of the case. But now, after all this time, I feel like the only thing I’ve been protecting is a broken system that has failed us. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has stopped working on Devon’s case, ignoring leads because they can’t be bothered to jump through hoops. I’ve had enough of their inaction. I’m here to tell Devon’s story, not only to bring exposure to his case but to shine a light on how flawed and careless the justice system in British Columbia truly is because once you experience it for your self its too late.

On Friday, September 24, 2021, Devon came home from a work trip and went to grab some beer at a liquor store near his house. That’s where he bumped into Chris McLean, Andrew Nofield, and Alex McLean. I got a Snapchat from him with them, and I immediately had a bad feeling. Andrew had just gotten out of jail for a violent offense, and Devon hadn’t spoken to them in years. I offered to pay for an Uber to bring him to where I was, but he told me not to worry. He said they were just old friends, and they were going to play pool.

By the next morning, Devon was missing. No one had seen or heard from him. I immediately started trying to reach out to Chris, Andrew, and Alex. People who knew Chris refused to give me his number, even though at that time, none of us knew what had happened to Devon—but it seemed they already did. I finally found Alex McLean. He was shaking, staring at the ground, and claimed he was so drunk he couldn’t remember anything. He took us to the spot where Devon supposedly got out of the car, but I could tell they were lying. Later, I called Alex again, and he agreed to meet. By the time I arrived, his mother had convinced him not to say anything, changing her story over and over to protect him.

I found out where Andrew was residing and went to confront him, I begged him to tell me where Devon was. He claimed they dropped Devon off in the middle of nowhere, near 192nd and 28th, with a dead phone. His mother started realising the severity of the situation and spoke up saying “why were you, Chris, and Alex thoroughly cleaning the vehicle Saturday morning?”  That’s when his girlfriend at the time, Mackenzie, chimed in, trying to cover for him by saying they were cleaning the vehicle the week before that and that his mother was “mistaken”. My heart sank. I knew then that Devon wasn’t coming back.

A few days later, I met with Chris. He wore all black, with a mask, a hood, and his hand in his waistband like he had a gun. I begged him for an hour to tell me where Devon’s body was, but he showed no emotion, no remorse. I said, “You didn’t just take my brother’s life, you took your little brother’s life by involving him in this,” and that was the only time I saw a reaction.

What made things worse was how much evidence there was and how little the police did with it. I learned Chris’s mother was also found cleaning the car Devon had been in, with bleach and Pine-Sol, late into the night. That car was later found burnt to the ground. All their stories didn’t match. The only consistent part was that they were all at an A&W, but the reasons for why Devon got out of the car were different every time. I found footage from the A&W of Devon alive with them, even though Alex’s family insisted he was home in bed. At this point, I had more leads than the police, and I wasn’t the one trained to investigate murder.

Devon’s Snapchat was another piece of crucial evidence. Moments before his phone pinged for the last time, he saved a video of Andrew, Chris, and Alex in the car with him. Chris is seen grabbing Devon’s phone and telling him to “delete that.” I believe my brother knew what was going to happen to him, and that’s why he saved the video.

Then, a month after Devon went missing, a man came forward. He had been in the car the day before Devon disappeared, and he said they were looking for my brother to kill him. He later saw Devon’s missing posters and realized they had done exactly what they set out to do. He gave a statement to the police, but even with all this evidence, no one has been interrogated, no one has been arrested.

Eventually, Andrew called me from jail, saying he wanted to come clean. He told me that Chris was looking for Devon, and they used Andrew to get him in the car. After they had been driving and drinking for a while, Devon got out to pee. That’s when Chris shot him in the back of the head. They left, came back to drag his body into the ditch, left again, and finally, returned a third time to put him in the back of the car. He said they drove towards Kamloops, found a wooded area, and dragged his body into the forest. Andrew gave this same story to the police, and yet, no one was held accountable.

We’ve done everything we can, even found out where Devon’s phone last pinged. Despite all of this, the investigators have told us they’re at a dead end. My family and I have put our faith in the justice system for three years, but we’re still here, with no justice, no answers, and no closure. It feels like a monkey could figure this out, but our trained homicide investigators can’t—or won’t.

I’m done being silent. I’m done waiting for a system that protects criminals over victims. If anyone knows what more we can do to find justice for Devon, please help. We need changes to the laws so that families like mine can get justice, even without a body. What is this system teaching people? That they can get away with murder if they successfully hide the body? My family and I are still waiting for answers, and I refuse to let Devon’s story be forgotten. We need justice, not just for him, but for everyone failed by this broken system.

After sharing Devon’s story, I was overwhelmed by the number of people who reached out to me, saying they had experienced the same type of injustice in British Columbia. Families like mine, left in the dark, with cases mishandled, ignored, or abandoned by the system. It became clear that this wasn’t just about Devon; it was about a deeply flawed justice system failing countless victims and their families. That’s why I’m moving forward with this petition—to demand reform and ensure that no one else has to endure the same heartbreak and injustice. 

Families like mine, and so many others across British Columbia, have faced unimaginable challenges in seeking justice for their loved ones due to outdated and rigid laws. One major obstacle is Canada’s "double jeopardy" law, which means a person can only be tried once for the same crime, making it incredibly difficult to reopen cases even when new evidence surfaces. Another hurdle is the requirement of a body to move forward with a murder trial, which allows perpetrators to escape justice if they successfully hide or dispose of the remains. The legal process is also bogged down by excessive bureaucracy, where investigators must navigate countless legal loopholes before they can even question suspects. On top of this, there’s a general lack of accountability for police departments when they mishandle or neglect cases. These laws and systemic flaws protect criminals more than they serve justice, leaving families devastated and with little hope of closure.

By signing this petition, you will be standing with countless families and victims who have been denied justice under a system that prioritizes the protection of criminals over the rights of those who have suffered. Together, we demand change to the flawed outdated laws in British Columbia that fail to hold offenders accountable and gives them ways to get away with crime that then leaves victims and their families without the justice they deserve. Your signature is a call for reform, for a fairer legal system that ensures criminals face the consequences of their actions and that victims and their loved ones receive the support and justice they need.