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Tony Doyle, 23, was stabbed to death January 15th, 2005.

Doyle was Edmonton's second homicide victim of the year.

Case status is open and active.

A building that was formerly a funeral parlour was the setting for the second murder of the year.

An altercation on the floor of the Globe Tap Bar & Grill at 10045 109 Street just before 1:00 a.m. on January 15th, 2005 caused Doyle to come to the aid of a friend who was being attacked by up to six people.

Doyle was rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital where died on the operating table after suffering multiple stab wounds to the chest.

Doyle's 19-year-old friend was rushed to the University Hospital where he was treated for his wounds and released.

Several other individuals were also injured, including a 21-year-old woman who was treated at the Royal Alex for a slash wound to the back.

Interviews and examination of club surveillance video failed to generate leads.

The search for Doyle's killer was hampered as "no one has the same description of one guy," according to a police spokesman.

Neither Doyle nor the other victims had criminal records, leading the gang unit to not get involved with the investigation. Police urged witnesses to come forward.

Tony Doyle, who was just starting the third year of an electrical engineering apprenticeship, worked for McGregor Construction. He had graduated from McNally high school in 1999.

While police didn't have much to go on, his family was certain of one thing: he died a hero.

"Tony didn't just stand back and see a friend beaten and stabbed," Trevor Poapst, Doyle's older brother, told the Edmonton Journal. "Instead he tried to assist him. I would say that he was a hero.

"Unfortunately, my brother died. But, fortunately, his friend did not."

"Now it turns out that the first funeral I'll go to is my brother's," he said.

"Without knowing the exact details or reasons for the attack you can't help think it was over something not worth the cost of a life," he said.

"Tony was always a peacemaker. I can't understand why he was attacked."

Poapst raised the issue of safety in bars, and how his attackers were able to bring a weapon into the busy club.

"We're not experts on security ... but if something like this happened at a club why didn't they shut the doors to hold the culprit for the police? Were the bouncers and the staff adequately trained? Did they scan people's driver's licences on the way in and the way out? What was the security like?"

However, police are credited the bar's staff for helping some of the victims after the attack.

The Globe saw violence in September 2004 when Edmonton Eskimo player Donny Brady was knifed in the back while standing just outside the club's doors.

In April 2004 Globe's owner, Mark Fitton, pleaded guilty to charges of overcrowding, exceeding the bar's main floor capacity of 257 by as many as 97 people.

A sign outside the club the morning after the murder said it was closed due to a watermain break. Patrons were re-directed to visit two other clubs, Devlin's and Filthy McNasty's, also owned by Fitton.

The former 1929-built Howard and McBride funeral parlour had gone through eight owners in 10 years before Fitton acquired it in 2002.

A memorial service for Doyle was held January 22th, the same day friends of the man held a vigil at City Hall where a petition asking the province to enhance the safety of staff and patrons at licensed premises was circulated.

On March 29th, 2008 Sean Allan Kier, 23, was stabbed to death outside the Diesel Ultra Lounge at 11845 Wayne Gretzky Drive Southbound.

Media reported that Kier was a suspect in Tony Doyle's murder. The story was later confirmed when Doyle's father Ashleigh told reporters that he had been contacted by police. However, due to the ongoing nature of his son's murder investigation, Ashleigh was unable to elaborate on what police told him.

More about the Howard and McBride funeral parlour can be found here.

deadmonton 2005 - tony doyle