Date: June 3, 2026 l By: Dew Washer
TORONTO, Canada — A Toronto courtroom delivered a dramatic conclusion on Wednesday as a jury found a husband and wife guilty in connection with the killing of their neighbour in Liberty Village, closing one of the city’s most closely watched murder trials in recent years.
After weeks of testimony and evidence, jurors convicted 36-year-old Khoa Tran of second-degree murder in the death of 53-year-old filmmaker Reeyaz Habib. Tran’s wife, Isabelle Nguyen, was found guilty of accessory to murder and committing indignity to a human body.
The case centered on the shocking death of Habib, whose body was discovered inside a garbage compactor at a residential complex in Liberty Village on June 8, 2023. Investigators later focused attention on the couple who lived directly below him in the townhouse development.
Court proceedings revealed that tensions had reportedly been building between Habib and the accused in the weeks leading up to the killing. Evidence presented during trial suggested disputes emerged over barbecue smoke drifting into Habib’s unit, creating friction between neighbours who once appeared to maintain a cordial relationship.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that the circumstances surrounding the case pointed to deliberate actions and efforts to conceal what happened afterward. Testimony heard in court included accounts of screams coming from Habib’s residence during the overnight hours of June 6, 2023, days before his body was found.
Tran maintained his innocence during testimony and told jurors he initially believed the sounds coming from Habib’s unit were unrelated to any crime, suggesting he thought his neighbour may have been experiencing a crisis or filming a scene. Prosecutors challenged that explanation during cross-examination while presenting evidence surrounding events before and after Habib’s disappearance.
Additional testimony during the trial came from an individual who had been staying with the couple at the time. The witness described hearing disturbances and later being urged not to speak to investigators, testimony that became part of the broader prosecution narrative.
Following the verdict, the presiding judge described the circumstances of the case as being of the “most serious nature.” Bail for both convicted individuals was revoked pending sentencing. Tran now faces an automatic life sentence under Canadian law, with parole eligibility to be determined later, while Nguyen’s sentence will be decided separately by the court. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2026.
Habib, remembered by colleagues as a creative storyteller and filmmaker, had reportedly been completing post-production work on his first feature film at the time of his death. His case drew widespread attention across Toronto and reignited conversations about conflict escalation, community safety, and justice for victims of violent crime.