When a Duffy’s Cabbie Was Murdered In 2020, Only TGCTS Reported Details on the Racist Criminal Who Stabbed Him
A Winnipeg man who fatally stabbed a taxi driver 17 times in what the court has described as a rage and racism fuelled attack will be handed a life sentence and may face deportation.
Here is our original reporting about the murder when it occurred:
Criminal Background of Accused Cabbie Murderer Goes Unreported
March 2020
The accused killer of a Duffy’s taxicab owner was facing cocaine trafficking charges and had a history of gang involvement.
Not that any Winnipeg media outlets bothered to include it in their stories about the death of 44 year old Balvir Toor, who died in an unprovoked altercation in the dark of night.
The accused, 20 year old Okoth Obeing, was a fomer basketball player at Sisler High School who had a reputation for a fast temper. According to someone who knew him in junior high, around that time his family had moved to a gang-dominated area. Basketball lost some of his attention in favour of less wholesome activities.
By the time Grade 12 grad season in 2018 was over, he was posting videotaped threats on Facebook about “these wanna-be gang members man who’ve never been out here man, I don’t play around man, tryin’ to come to my town you gonna get f-in’ smoked man, I don’t care man”, while flashing the Westside sign.
The next day he posted “Wrap your body wit a garbage bag , then toss your ass in the river . no funeral event for you.”
About 18 months later, on December 29th, 2019, Winnipeg police noticed a vehicle stopped in the Point Douglas neighborhood near Main Street and Euclid Avenue at 5 AM with a snow-obscured licence plate. After making “several drug-related observations”, the two occupants were hauled out, and a search uncovered “29 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine with an estimated street value of $2,640, two mobile devices and $1,810 in cash.”
CTV reported: “Okoth Obeing, 19, has been charged with possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000 and possession of a scheduled substance for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine.”
City Circus has also discovered that on February 26th, Manitoba Public Insurance sued him for a Criminal Compensation Order, seeking restitution for $3,638.67. (Generally this type of claim is related to stealing and damaging a vehicle insured by MPI). Less than 4 weeks later, Obeing is believed to have made the call for a taxi in the 500 block of Burrows, about 2 km from the scene of his drug bust.
Toor, a very respected owner who drove day shifts and was reknowned by customers for his honesty and helpful nature, promptly arrived around 5.30 AM, calmly facing what every cabbie fears – the unknown of what can happen when you pull up in the dark of the pre-dawn hours.
Neighbours heard noises and saw the cab in the middle of the street, both front doors open, and the emergency beacon flashing. They called 911.
Taxi industry insiders speculate that when Toor asked for the mandatory $10 overnight hours deposit required by City of Winnipeg regulations, Obeing balked and attacked the driver. Police said they found Toor inside the taxi, and he passed away in hospital from his wounds.
Obeing took off but homicide investigators found him in the King Edward neighbourhood that night. He was charged with second-degree murder and four counts of failing to comply with the conditions of a release order.
Winnipeg media did not ever report on why the accused was out on conditions and what those 4 counts for failing to comply might be might be – but we will: Out after curfew, not keeping thepeace, and possession of a weapon, are the obvious guesses.
Another obvious guess is that the media will not question why Obeing was let out on release by a court in the first place, free to kill a cabbie. Toor’s family would probably like to know, even if the media isn’t interested.
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