Febrio De-Zoysa, who allegedly decimated a Sri Lankan family living in Ottawa last week, is in detention, his lawyer said. The 19-year-old appeared briefly by telephone on Thursday afternoon.
“He is fine,” his lawyer Ewan Lyttle told the media, declining to comment on his client’s mental health. Mr. Lyttle added that he had spoken to the alleged killer’s family, who “obviously are distraught.” Mr. De-Zoysa’s relatives are not in Sri Lanka, according to Mr. Lyttle, who declined to give further details.
Febrio De-Zoysa faces six counts of first-degree murder as well as one count of attempted murder. A 35-year-old mother, Darshani Ekanyake, and her four children, the youngest of whom was only two months old and born in Canada, were among the victims. A friend the family was hosting, Amarakoonmubiayanselan Ge Gamini Amarakoon, 40, was also murdered using a “sharp object”. The father, who survived the attacks, was seriously injured.
This Sri Lankan national would have arrived in Canada “a few years ago”, indicated his lawyer, who does not know “the exact date” of the start of his stay. According to Ottawa police, he was in Canada for his studies and living with the victims of the crime. The young man’s birthday had also been celebrated by the family, a few days before the tragedy, reported The Canadian Press.
Mr. De-Soyza will have to appear remotely again on March 28. His first appearance in court last Thursday was adjourned so that he could find a lawyer.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.