Calgary teen admits to murdering 16-year-old over Instagram feud and expensive hoodie
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A Calgary teen admitted to murdering a 16-year-old boy over an internet feud and an expensive sweatshirt.
Dean Visser was fatally stabbed in June 2024.
His killer can't be named because he was under the age of 18 at the time of the crime. CBC News is calling him SK.
SK was two months past his 17th birthday at the time of the attack.
Originally charged with first-degree murder, SK pleaded guilty to second-degree murder following plea negotiations between defence lawyer Rebecca Snukal and prosecutor Darren Maloney.
Court of King's Bench Justice Lisa Silver will hear sentencing arguments at a later date.
The maximum sentence for a youth convicted of second-degree murder is four years in custody and three years under community supervision.
Details of the murder come from an agreed statement of facts filed as part of SK's guilty plea.
Pair 'harboured animosity'
Court heard that in 2024, Visser and SK "harboured animosity" toward each other and had exchanged heated messages on Instagram.
On June 24, 2024, Visser and his girlfriend were walking along a street in the city's southeast. They had plans to meet up with friends.
Visser had two expensive hooded sweatshirts from the Bathing Ape brand, known as BAPEs. He wore one of the sweatshirts and carried the other.
During the walk, SK observed the couple and began following them for two or three blocks.
'Who are you?'
With his hood up, SK ran up behind the couple with a knife in hand and stabbed Visser.
During the attack, Visser shouted "who are you?"
SK replied: "Give me that BAPE."
Visser said "you can have the BAPE" and handed the sweatshirt over to his attacker.
SK ran from the scene with the BAPE in his arms.
Visser's girlfriend and another witness called 911. First responders arrived quickly at the scene and took him to the Children's hospital.
'I blacked out'
Less than two hours later, Visser was dead.
In the meantime, SK had returned home. He ditched some of his clothing in an alley en route.
SK's mother called her son's probation officer and told him he'd been attacked by Visser.
Despite the call, SK was arrested by police at his home. He initially told investigators he and Visser had arranged a meeting to settle their feud and said he acted in self-defence.
Once police confronted SK with security camera footage, he changed his story.
He told police he spotted SK on the street, rushed to catch up and stabbed him out of anger because of their feud.
"I blacked out. I saw him, saw rage and just went forward," he told police.
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