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Ikeche Bates, 21, was shot to death May 3rd, 2003.

Bates was Edmonton's seventh homicide victim of the year.

Terence Dashielle Miller, 20, was charged with second-degree murder and being an accessory after the fact.

A 16-year-old male young offender (later identified as Marlon George Williams) was charged with second-degree murder.

While no one was ever convicted of the murder of Ikeche Bates, those involved in his death later suffered the fate of "what goes around comes around."

Shortly after 6:00 p.m. on May 3rd, 2003, Ikeche Bates – who had former gang connections – was shot in the back on Clareview Road near 132A Avenue as he returned to his Chrysler Sebring following a conversation about jewelry with two people in a small, red car.

After the suspects fled in the red car, police found a fully loaded .357 Magnum on the ground next to Ikeche's body, tucked into a white sport sock. It was later determined the gun belonged to Bates and that he had unsuccessfully tried to fire all six rounds.

Police said the shooting was possibly gang-related, but more likely the result of a personal dispute. Bates died later in hospital – a bullet had pierced his heart.

Police soon seized a 1988 four-door Honda Civic and second-degree murder warrants were issued for Terence Dashielle Miller, 20, and a 16-year-old (Williams). The two men were arrested several days later.

In May 2004 Williams (above) admitted to shooting Bates but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of possession of a dangerous weapon.

He was sentenced as an adult to two years probation and also received a lifetime firearms ban. In addition, Williams had to perform 100 hours of community service.

Justice Darlene Acton noted Williams was out on bail for several charges that included drug trafficking at the time of the shooting.

Reading her victim impact statement in court, Ikeche's grandmother, Jo-Anne Bates, addressed Williams.

"I can only pray that when your judgement day comes, you feel the pain and sadness that you inflicted on me and my family."

The pain Bates wished for Williams came not on his judgement day but on July 2nd, 2008 – see below.

Marlon Williams' mother said in 2004 her son would not have shot someone unless it was in self defence.

“He would not just come out and shoot someone,” she said. “They'd have to be ready to shoot him before he did.”

Terence Dashielle Miller had his charges dropped to manslaughter and then stayed, with the Crown citing "evidentiary" reasons for the decision.

However, Miller's brush with the law wasn't enough to keep him on the straight and narrow.

In 2005, the now 23-year-old turned himself in to police to face a second-degree murder charge in connection with the July 7th death of Brandon Fern. The 18-year-old had been beaten, stabbed and shot in an Abbottsfield apartment lobby.

Miller again escaped justice when Crown prosecutors stayed the charge against him relating to Fern's death. However, Miller couldn't escape a shooter's bullets and his life ended on August 17th, 2008 – see below.

Ikeche Bates first made it into a newspaper in 1990, when he was nine years old.

Bates had written a letter to the Edmonton Journal which was published in an advertising feature titled Christmas - as seen through the eyes of innocence.

Dear Santa,

Can you please give some presents to the poor and to my Friend Albert. He said that he wanted to be surprised. And please get my Mom some clothes. And my Step Dad wants some clothes to. Thank you for the Xmas presents. Can you get my to sisters some clothes to please.

Ikeche Bates,
Grade 3, Oliver School

It is not known how Ikeche grew up or what temptations and challenges he faced, but by the time he was 21 years old he had turned his back on gang life .

"Our information was he tried to break with that lifestyle. Whether or not he was successful, we don't know," a police spokesman said.

"When he came to see us, he didn't bring that garbage with him, he left it wherever he left it," James Bates, Ikeche's great-uncle, said.

He had turned his life around, James added.

August 2003 was to hear wedding bells for Bates and his fiancee Angela Morris. Ikeche was also to start on taking welding courses that month. The couple's son, Ikeche Jr., was two months old at the time of the shooting.

The most important thing to Bates was always his family, James said.

"He really loved his family and he really loved life, and he was taken away far too early from everyone who loved him," he told the Edmonton Journal.

"He was like a father figure more than a brother figure. It was unbelievable the way he cared for them," James said, speaking of how Ikeche treated his two younger sisters.

Bates also loved his music.

"He liked alternative music, he liked rap music. He liked Sixties music, actually – the disco stuff he liked, too. I think I turned him on to that," James said, smiling.

The supper-hour shooting had residents feeling anxious.

"I always thought Clareview was a nice quality neighbourhood," Kerri Bawdon said. "But now we've always got Air-1 flying overhead. And they busted people last summer on our neighbour's lawn."

Commenting on Bates' shooting, Police Chief Bob Wasylyshen said he was "very concerned about the level of violence" on city streets.

"I'm concerned that firearms are involved and I'm concerned that a lot of these disputes are being settled in public areas. The fact that these disputes are often being settled right in public areas, it puts the rest of the public in danger. We need to get a handle on it."

The chief tried to re-assure citizens.

"Generally speaking, the streets in Edmonton are safe," Wasylyshen said. "We just hope we don't see the day when someone is hurt who is not intended to be involved in one of these incidents."

Ikeche Bates first made into a newspaper in 1990, when he was nine years old.

Bates wrote a letter to the Edmonton Journal which was published in an advertising feature titled Christmas - as seen through the eyes of innocence.

Dear Santa,

Can you please give some presents to the poor and to my Friend Albert. He said that he wanted to be surprised. And please get my Mom some clothes. And my Step Dad wants some clothes to. Thank you for the Xmas presents. Can you get my to sisters some clothes to please.

Ikeche Bates,
Grade 3, Oliver School

It is not known how Ikeche grew up or what temptations and challenges he faced, but by the time he was 21 years old he had turned his back on gang life .

"Our information was he tried to break with that lifestyle. Whether or not he was successful, we don't know," a police spokesman said.

"When he came to see us, he didn't bring that garbage with him, he left it wherever he left it," James Bates, Ikeche's great-uncle, said.

He had turned his life around, James added.

August 2003 was to hear wedding bells for Bates and his fiancee Angela Morris. Ikeche was also to start taking welding courses that same month. The couple's son, Ikeche Jr., was two months old.

The most important thing to Bates was always his family, James said.

"He really loved his family and he really loved life, and he was taken away far too early from everyone who loved him," he told the Edmonton Journal.

"He was like a father figure more than a brother figure. It was unbelievable the way he cared for them," James said, speaking of how Ikeche treated his two younger sisters.

Bates also loved his music.

"He liked alternative music, he liked rap music. He liked Sixties music, actually – the disco stuff he liked, too. I think I turned him on to that," James said.

The near-broad daylight shooting had residents feeling anxious.

"I always thought Clareview was a nice quality neighbourhood," Kerri Bawdon. "But now we've always got Air-1 flying overhead. And they busted people last summer on our neighbour's lawn."

Commenting on Bates' shooting, Police Chief Bob Wasylyshen said he was "very concerned about the level of violence" on city streets.

"I'm concerned that firearms are involved and I'm concerned that a lot of these disputes are being settled in public areas.

"The fact that these disputes are often being settled right in public areas, it puts the rest of the public in danger. We need to get a handle on it."

The chief tried to re-assure citizens.

"Generally speaking, the streets in Edmonton are safe," Wasylyshen said. "We just hope we don't see the day when someone is hurt who is not intended to be involved in one of these incidents."

They say what comes around goes around ... and by the summer of 2008 both men originally charged with the murder of Ikeche Bates had been shot themselves.

On July 2nd, 2008 24-year-old Scott Ladouceur became Edmonton's fourteenth homicide victim of the year. Ladoucer's murder remains unsolved.

Ladouceur, Marlon George Williams, and a third person arrived at the Northeast Community Health Centre at 14007 50 Street in a silver Mazda 6 that had a large bullet hole in the passenger door and another bullet hole in the back of the driver's headrest.

Ladouceur was pronounced dead and Williams (above) was rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital with life-threatening wounds. The third person was held for questioning and released.

Police believe Ladoucer and Williams were shot in a semi-rural area near 167th Avenue and 18th Street, west of Kuhlmann's Greenhouse and the Evergreen Mobile Home park.

It wasn't clear why the victims were near the trailer park – investigators said they were not there for a party and that the car wasn't moving when the bullets were fired.

Edmonton police homicide Det. Clark said there was a possibility the Ladoucer-Williams shooting could be connected to the Bates case, but “there's no way to say anything definitively at this time.”

Bates' cousin, J.R. Patrick, recently returned to Edmonton from an out-of-town trip.

“That's crazy,” he told the Sun when he heard of Williams being shot. “That's nuts. It's sad that this stuff's still happening and it's Edmonton.”

The Sun also spoke with Ikeche's sister, Isha Jackson.

"It's weird that he can be out on the streets with a life going on after what happened," she said referring to Williams.

"We were just really sad to hear it. Any time we hear any drama like that, we know there are families involved who are stuck worrying about their loved ones," Isha said, noting relatives had no thoughts of revenge when they heard Williams had become a shooting victim.

Six weeks later, on August 17th, 2008, Terence Dashielle Miller suffered multiple gunshot wounds – becoming Edmonton's eighteenth homicide victim of that year.

Miller was dropped off at the Royal Alexandra Hospital after up to six shots were fired in the parking lot of the Canadian Native Friendship Centre at 11205 101 Street. His murder remains unsolved.

Isha Jackson, Ikeche's sister, couldn't speculate whether the shootings of Williams and Miller were linked but she was glad both were no longer on the street.

"It slightly feels like relief to know the two people [accused of murdering] my brother are not on the streets," Jackson told the Edmonton Sun. "I don't have to worry about bumping into them."

deadmonton 2003 - ikeche bates