Chrispo Tshilombo

An aspiring rapper with a promising future, Chrispo Tshilombo was known to his friends by the names Splitz and Codeine. The 17-year-old male was a beloved son, remembered for his smile and the joy he brought to his family. His life was cut tragically short in a senseless act of violence that continues to haunt his loved ones and the community of Ajax, Ontario.

In the early morning hours of Friday, July 23, 2010, Chrispo was at a party held in the basement of the St. Nedela Macedonian Orthodox Church on Bayly Street. Just after 1:00 a.m., a fight broke out between a friend of Chrispo's and another young man. The dispute spilled out into the church parking lot. During the altercation, another person pulled out a gun and fired a single, fatal shot. The bullet struck Chrispo in the head.

As chaos erupted, the shooter and several other individuals quickly piled into a vehicle and fled the scene, leaving Chrispo gravely wounded. A friend desperately tried to get him into a car to rush him to a hospital, but his injuries were too severe. He died in the parking lot just as paramedics arrived. The Durham Regional Police Service launched a homicide investigation, but the case was immediately met with challenges.

Investigators believe there were many young people present who witnessed the shooting and know the identity of the person who pulled the trigger. However, a code of silence, rooted in fear, has hampered the investigation from the beginning. In the weeks and months following her son's murder, Chrispo’s mother, Babeth Asseli, made public pleas for witnesses to come forward. She expressed her belief that those present were afraid for their own safety. “Those kids are afraid,” she said in an interview in 2010. “They don’t want to put their lives in danger.”

The investigation into Chrispo Tshilombo's murder has remained open for over a decade, becoming one of Durham Region's most frustrating cold cases. Detectives have continued to review the file, hoping that with the passage of time, allegiances may have changed and those with knowledge of the crime might finally be moved by conscience to speak up. The case hinges on a witness breaking the silence that has protected a killer for years.

Years have passed, but the pain for Chrispo’s family has not diminished. They continue to seek justice and closure, holding onto the hope that someone will come forward with the information needed to solve the case. The identity of the young man who fired the shot that night in the church parking lot remains a secret held by a select few.

The Durham Regional Police Service continues to ask for the public's help. Anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, is urged to contact the Durham Regional Police Homicide Unit.