Posted October 26, 2026 5:37 pm.
A Toronto man has been sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole for 16 years for killing his neighbour in Liberty Village three years ago, his lawyer confirmed to CityNews.
Khoa Tran, 36, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Reeyaz Habib, 56, in June of this year and sentenced in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Monday.
Second-degree murder carries a sentence of life in prison without a chance of parole for at least 10 years.
The body of Habib, a well-loved Toronto filmmaker, was discovered in the garbage compactor of a townhouse complex in Liberty Village in June 2023.
Prosecutors alleged the brutal killing was triggered by an escalating dispute that all began over barbecue smoke wafting from Tran’s apartment below Habib’s unit.
Tran denied the killing despite being caught on camera throwing Habib’s bike in the garbage shortly before his body was found. He described it as a reaction to a heated argument about the barbecue a few days earlier, calling it a petty move he regrets.
Tran’s wife Isabelle Nguyen, 30, who was found guilty of accessory to murder and indignity to a human body, was sentenced to six years in prison. With time served, she will have five years and 4.5 months left to serve in prison.
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Source: CityNews Toronto · Dilshad Burman
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