Gray Nay Htoo

Gray Nay Htoo, 31, and his wife, Maw Maw, 28, had endured unimaginable hardship in their journey to Canada. As members of the Karen ethnic group, they fled conflict and persecution in their homeland of Myanmar, living in a refugee camp in Thailand before being accepted as refugees to Canada around 2008. They settled in Regina, Saskatchewan, with their young son, Seven June Htoo, hoping for a peaceful future and a better life. Gray found work at Crown Shred and Recycling, and according to his cousin, K'nyaw Htoo, he was a devoted father who diligently saved money for his son's education. The family was active in their church, New Friends in Christ, and was embraced by the city's small, tight-knit Karen community. By all accounts, they were a kind and humble family, grateful for the safety their new country offered.

That dream of safety was shattered in August 2010. On August 6, property managers entered the family's townhouse on Oakview Drive in the Uplands neighbourhood after neighbours reported a foul odor and noted that the family hadn't been seen for several days. Inside, they made a horrific discovery: the bodies of Gray Nay Htoo, Maw Maw, and their three-year-old son, Seven June. The little boy had celebrated his birthday with a party just weeks earlier. Police described the scene as violent but confirmed early on that a gun had not been used in the killings. The triple homicide was called the worst in Regina's history by the police chief at the time.

The investigation launched by the Regina Police Service was massive and complex. At its peak, as many as 25 officers were assigned to the case, and they received assistance from the RCMP and the FBI. Investigators conducted around 250 interviews in the first year alone, a task complicated by language barriers that required the use of translators and a Karen-speaking officer to build trust within the fearful refugee community. Despite these extensive efforts, which included exploring theories of hate crime or culturally motivated violence, police were unable to identify a suspect or make any charges stick. Neighbours reported seeing suspicious people around the home and noted that the family always triple-locked their doors, but these leads did not break the case open.

The brutal and unsolved nature of the murders left the community reeling. K'nyaw Htoo spoke of his shock, fear, and anger, and how the investigation initially cast a pall of suspicion over everyone in the community. "It changed the way he felt about his community because everyone was seen as a suspect," one report noted. Over time, he said he found a way to forgive the unknown killer, stating, "We are all human. Everyone do mistakes... Instead of hate, why don't we give love, because all humans need love." He pleaded for anyone with information to come forward to give the family peace.

In May 2014, the Regina Board of Police Commissioners offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the hopes of generating new leads. The case was officially designated a cold case in 2015 and assigned to a single investigator, though police have always maintained it remains a priority. Anniversaries of the tragic discovery have come and gone, each one a painful reminder for a community still seeking answers and justice.

As of a December 2025 update, the murders of Gray Nay Htoo, Maw Maw, and Seven June Htoo remain an open and active cold case investigation. The Regina Police Service continues to believe the case is solvable, pointing to advancements in forensic technology that may allow for new analysis of historical evidence. The $50,000 reward for information leading to the closure of the case has been renewed. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Regina Police Service at 306-777-6500 or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.