Murder on DeSousa Place
THE MAIN INFORMANT
In the 12 years since Lindsay Buziak’s murder multiple blogs have been written, yet not once has there been talk of the main informant who made the initial call to the Calgary Police in November 2007 and triggered the High Noon Investigation. An investigation that led to the arrest of Erickson Delalcazar and Graham Scott Taylor in January 2008, and 10 days later to the murder of Lindsay Buziak. Who is the main informant and what was their motivation for making that call?
If the main informant was in the Zachary Matheson camp we can safely say the motivation was not to assist law enforcement and society. The motive was to eliminate a rival or to divert suspicion from their own criminal activities.
The main informant who made the call to the Calgary Police Department in late November 2007, and informed on the drug shipment heading from Victoria to Calgary was a woman who worked in the Re/Max office at the time of Lindsay’s murder and still works there today. That 1st call to the Calgary Police in late November triggered the High Noon Operation. Hence, the Calgary Drug Bust and the arrest of Erickson Lopez Delalcazar on January 22/2008. An 8 million dollar (street value) loss.
If anyone asks this woman if she is the main informant, she will likely deny her involvement. After all, her identity has been protected for 12 years. If the time comes that she does admit that she is the main informant, she will have such a great story to weave as to why she did it, that many will believe her. But people with critical thinking skills will see right through her storytelling. That call to the Calgary Police in November 2007 was not a genuine desire to assist law enforcement and society – there was an ulterior motive for her actions.
That same woman made a 2nd call to the Calgary Police in late January 2008, right after Erickson Delalcazar’s arrest. She called to say, “you missed the motherload, it’s it in safe”. This person had to be very close to someone involved in drugs – someone who would have inside information about what was going on in the Delalcazar camp.
AN 8 MILLION DOLLAR LOSS IS A STRONG MOTIVE FOR MURDER.
Leopoldo Rojo Beltran (Leo) was the man in charge of the Calgary Drug Operation and he would certainly have been on the hunt for the person who ratted his group out.
FBI AID FOR ASSESSING CONFIDENTIAL HUMAN RESOURCES
Informants, and especially criminal informants, can be motivated by many reasons. Many informants are not themselves aware of all of their reasons for providing information, but nonetheless do so. Many informants provide information while under stress, duress, emotion and other life factors that can affect the accuracy or veracity of information provided.
Law enforcement officers, prosecutors, defense lawyers, judges and others should be aware of possible motivations so that they can properly approach, assess and verify informants’ information.
Generally, informants’ motivations can be broken down into self-interest, self-preservation and conscience.
A list of possible motivations includes:
SELF-INTEREST
- Financial reward
- Pre-trial release from custody
- Withdrawal or dismissal of criminal charges
- Reduction of sentence
- Choice of location to serve sentence
- Elimination of rivals or unwanted criminal associates.
- Elimination of competitors engaged in criminal activities.
- Diversion of suspicion from their own criminal activities.
- Revenge
SELF PRESERVATION:
Fear of harm from others.
Threat of arrest or charges.
Threat of incarceration.
Desire for witness protection program.
CONSCIENCE:
Desire to go straight
Guilty conscience
Genuine desire to assist law enforcement and society.
LET’S START HERE:
In 2009, after cooperating fully with the Saanich Police Department, the ZAILO family was cleared of having ANY involvement in LINDSAY BUZIAK’S MURDER. In 2010, shortly after the Dateline show aired, Saanich Police spokesperson DEAN JANTZEN said, “the Zailo family, which includes Shirley Zailo, Ryan Zailo and Jason Zailo have met with our detectives over the past couple of days of their own free will, voluntarily, and have satisfied every investigative request that our detectives have had of them”
In a 2009 interview, Police Chief Derek Egan cautioned that the silence from the Saanich Police on the file wasn’t a sign they do not have a suspect. He said detectives often keep information close to their chest during an investigation. They might have a strong suspect in mind but need more evidence or witnesses.
Clearing this entire family lends to the premise that the Saanich Police already have suspects in their field of vision, and may even know the male and female that entered the DeSousa property with Lindsay that night. But without DNA evidence, fingerprints or witness testimony they are unable to make arrests. It is clear that the murderers took great care not to leave evidence at the scene of the crime that could incriminate them.
On the Dateline NBC show, which aired September 2010, DETECTIVE ROB MCCOLL made this statement, “This is a criminal conspiracy of some significance and could involve a large amount of money, large amount of drugs. It could be that considerable wrong was done to whoever the financier was. One of the two people at the home could be the mastermind, and the money man”.
DATELINE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lTr1NhaRQM&feature=youtu.be DREAM HOUSE MYSTERY
It’s clear in McColl’s statement that the cops have been on the Calgary Drug Bust theory from DAY ONE and still are today, and – why after the Dateline showed aired in September 2010 they called an extraordinary news conference to quell rumors about the involvement of the boyfriend and his family.
To suggest that a highly successful realtor like Shirley Zailo would conspire to have Lindsay Buziak murdered inside a Re/Max listed property is a reach, but certainly not impossible. There is some evidence to suggest that Shirley may have had some involvement in this crime, and Jason Zailo’s actions that evening are highly suspicious.
Jason arrived at the DeSousa home accompanied by a friend shortly after Lindsay was murdered. Shirley Zailo was at her home on Haida Drive. Ryan Zailo was 20 kilometers away with a friend. All three can account for their whereabouts at the time of the murder. VERIFIED ALIBIS. On the surface, no member of this family had a clear motive to want Lindsay dead. The focus should be on the Calgary Drug Bust, but at the same time consider that there could be some connection to the Zailo family.
THE CALGARY DRUG BUST AND THE CONSPIRATORS WHO PLANNED LINDSAY BUZIAK’S MURDER
All the evidence points to the Calgary Drug Bust, and that is where the focus needs to stay. It all began in late November 2007 – when someone in Victoria picked up the phone, contacted the Calgary Police Department and told them about the shipment of drugs heading to Calgary. That call triggered the “OPERATION HIGH NOON” investigation, and that call got Erickson Delalcazar and Graham Scott Taylor busted on January 22, 2008. The caller was either someone on the inside of the operation, or someone on the outside who had been told about the operation by an insider.
The MAIN INFORMANT
Whoever made the late November 2007 call to the Calgary Police wanted Erickson Delalcazar to go down in flames – and they succeeded. After the Calgary Bust the Delalcazars, Vid Acevedo, Medardo Rivas Franco, Miguel Rivas Franco & Leo Beltran were left scrambling to recover from their huge financial loss and the Delalcazars were no longer drug kingpins in Victoria.
The MAIN INFORMANT made that call to the Calgary Police for one of two reasons. 1) They were an honest law-biding citizen who knew that making the call was the right thing to do – or 2) they were a competitor who knew that their own business could prosper if the Delalcazars were hurt financially.
INSIDE THE RE/MAX OFFICE
Rianne worked inside the Re/Max office as a receptionist. She was one of Lindsay’s best friends – and she spoke fluent Spanish. Rianne was dating Vid Acevedo around the time of the murder, and she was the maid of honor at Vid’s sister’s wedding, held in Las Vegas August 2008. Yes, Rianne had access to the real estate files, but so did the manager of the office Shirley Zailo, not to mention other realtors and support staff.
Sgt. Chris Horsley said in a press statement that people were being woken up in their beds in the middle of the night and asked who they had talked to. This would mean that the people who lost their money in the Calgary Drug Bust were out for blood – determined to find out who the person was that had ratted them out. What if, right after the Calgary Drug bust went down, Shirley Zailo told Rianne that Lindsay was the informant – in the hopes that Rianne would run back to Vid with the information?
As Vid hated Lindsay, this is all it would have taken for him to target Lindsay. Rianne may have been an innocent victim who was set up by Shirley Zailo, and with what the Zailo’s knew about Rianne, they had everything they needed to throw Rianne under the bus. Someone lured Lindsay to the DeSousa house that night and that person would NOT be Rianne. It was more apt to be the main informant who desperately needed to take the heat off herself.
1702 DESOUSA PLACE
ON CRIME WATCH DAILY: “She received a cold call out of the blue from clients requesting to purchase a house over the weekend,” said Saanich Police Sgt. Chris Horsley.
“The lady phoned and said ‘We need to have a house set up,’ some fairly specific parameters: it needed to be immediately move-in ready, and had to be 15-20 minutes from downtown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD19yzLHtRk And they were looking at a home in the million-dollar range.
Rianne would never have given the 1702 DeSousa address to Vid, it is more likely that Shirley Zailo suggested to Lindsay that she show the DeSousa property to her clients. And then, Lindsay gave the address to the Buyers. The buyer’s only goal was to lure Lindsay to the DeSousa house that night, then murder her.
After Lindsay’s murder, Rianne spent years telling anyone who would listen that she quit her job because she was afraid of the Zailo’s, yet she was never able to explain why she felt that way. She said, “When I was told about Lindsay’s death, I knew the Zailos had killed her – before I was even told how she died” And she said, “The Zailo’s are pure evil”. Rianne refused to-co-operate with the police, even denying their request for a polygraph? But maybe she had a very good reason for doing so.
Rianne’s hate/anger towards them might well be justified. It is very possible that the Zailo family was feeding the Saanich Police false information about Rianne – Shirley, confident that her status in the community would make their story believable.
RIANNE DOES NOT LIKE THE SAANICH POLICE, but she has no explanation as to why. Rianne spent years trying to tell people the Zailo’s were evil. And maybe she was right all along. After the Calgary Drug bust, the head of the operation LEO BELTRAN was on the warpath and determined to find who ratted the group out – and that’s when the WITCHHUNT began.
Was Rianne one of the women who was dragged out of bed in the middle of the night? Did Rianne know that Vid was in charge of the drug shipment headed to Calgary prior to the bust – or did she find out after the fact? Someone was going to die, and you can be sure Rianne did not want to be that person – and who could blame her. One very good reason for her silence all these years.
Rianne loved Lindsay and she would never tell Vid that Lindsay had ratted them out. Vid hated Lindsay, and that was good enough reason for him to point the finger at her. The person who devised the plan to lure Lindsay to the DeSousa house that night is no doubt the the same person who worked in the Re/Max office and passed on the 1702 DeSousa address to the killers. Directly or indirectly. That would NOT be Rianne. It is more apt to be the main informant.
VID ACEVEDO AND THE DELALCAZARS likely did not know who the main informant was, but they might have been told it was someone from the Re/Max office. They may have mentioned to the head of the operation (Leo Beltran)? that Lindsay worked in the Re/Max office and that she had visited her dad in Calgary in December. If Rianne did know anything, she was in a situation where the smartest thing for her to do was keep her mouth shut. Erickson was denied bail on February 1st so he was not giving information to Leo, it would be Vid, Medardo, or other members of the group. Rianne can never talk and she can never take a polygraph, because she could meet the same fate as Lindsay if anyone ever thought she was a rat.
WHO REALLY CONSPIRED TO MURDER LINDSAY BUZIAK?
LINDSAY TOLD HER DAD THAT SHE SAW SOMETHING SHE SHOULDN’T HAVE SEEN but what that was is still unknown. Jason knew that Lindsay was planning on leaving him and so did his mother. “If” what Lindsay saw that she shouldn’t have seen had to do with money laundering within the Zailo/Ziggy Matheson camp that just might have been motive enough to want Lindsay dead. It is well known that criminal organizations eliminate those who become a serious threat to them. At the end of November 2007 Shirley calls the Calgary Police to tell them about the drugs enroute to Calgary. Now the plan is set in motion and all they have to do is sit back and wait.
Erickson Delalcazar gets busted in Calgary on January 22nd 2008 just like Shirley Zailo and Zachary Matheson had been counting on. They knew that all hell was about to be break loose – after all that bust just cost the Delalcazar group MILLIONS. The group is scrambling to find out who ratted them out – waking people up in the middle of the night and putting the fear of god into them. Now all Ziggy and Shirley have to do is put out the word that Lindsay was the one who ratted them out. Now a hit is put out on Lindsay and she is murdered. This would be the reason that Vid Acevedo was on the warpath after Lindsay was murdered. Vid and the Delalcazars may have figured out that they had been set up.
CIRILO BAUTISTA LOPEZ may have been the guy who called the hit. After all, he was high up in the ranks of the organization and had the power to call a hit. Cirilo was very protective of his nephews and may have wanted retribution. LEO ROJO BELTRAN fits the description of the male who met Lindsay at the house so he could be the one that killed her. Whether it was Leo Beltran’s sister or another female that accompanied him that night is unknown.
LINDSAY IS NO LONGER A THREAT TO SHIRLEY AND ZACHARY MATHESON’S BUSINESS. Now all Shirley has to do is tell the Saanich Police that Lindsay’s ex-boyfriend Matt MacDuff is good friends with the Delalcazar brothers and that Lindsay was friends with that group. She tells the police that Lindsay’s good friend Rianne is the receptionist in her office and that Rianne is the person who fed the new 1702 DeSousa Place listing into the computer system.
She also tells the police that Rianne was going out with Vid Acevedo at the time of the murder and he is good friends with Matt MacDuff and the Delalcazar brothers. Of course the Saanich Police detectives are going to take the word of this well-respected realtor in the community along with her smooth-talking sons who will tell the police whatever their mother tells them to. Then Shirley Zailo goes on Dateline NBC and tells the world that Lindsay told her that she was afraid of Matt MacDuff.
“IF” RIANNE WAS WORKING THAT DAY she may have been the girl who put the listing into the system. However, every realtor in that office had access to the DeSousa file and the floorplans that were inside. So did the manager Shirley Zailo and other support staff that worked in that office. Pointing the finger at Rianne back in the day may have worked back then but it sure as hell is not working anymore.
LET’S GO BACK TO LATE NOVEMBER 2007 We know someone made a call to the Calgary Police and ratted out the Delalcazars. We also know that right after Lindsay’s murder Zachary Matheson called a meeting of his close associates, and the reason for that meeting was to formulate a plan to protect the Zailos from Edgar Ovidio Acevedo (Vid). One of those associates Zachary called was his good buddy Steef de frel. Steef was a friend of Jason Zailo’s too. Steef and Jason used to work out at the gym together. Today, Steef is a full patch HA member and is on Shirley Zailo’s facebook friend’s list.
Why would the Zailos’ need protection from Vid? Was Vid concerned that Jason recognized the killer at the 1702 DeSousa house? Clearly Zachary Matheson and the Zailos were close friends, otherwise why would Zachary get involved? Why would he want to protect the Zailos from Vid? If Zachary Matheson knew about the Delalcazars drug shipment headed to Calgary who else in his circle knew?
Why would the Zailos’ need protection from Vid? Was Vid concerned that Jason recognized the killer at the 1702 Desousa house? Clearly Zachary Matheson and the Zailos were close friends, otherwise why would Zachary get involved? Why would he want to protect the Zailos from Vid? If Zachary Matheson knew about the Delalcazars drug shipment headed to Calgary who else in his circle knew?
WHAT ABOUT THE VID ACEVEDO/DELALCAZAR CIRCLE? Rianne would know, but it makes more sense that she found out after the bust. It is well known that drug dealers/gangsters keep their business to themselves and don’t share with girlfriends. On the off chance that Rianne did know about the shipment going to Calgary prior to the bust, she could have shared that information with a friend – and that friend would have been Lindsay. But that theory does not wash. The theory that makes far more sense is that the main informant was deep in the Zachary Matheson camp and their source was an insider within the Delalcazar camp.
MIGUEL RIVAS FRANCO & ALYCIA FAITHFUL LEBRUN were arrested in the High Noon Operation but not until late summer 2008. Both were charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Alycia received 7 years. Alycia was close friends with the Delalcazars, Vid, Christina B, and others in that group. These girls would have done anything to protect/cover for them, even if it meant Lindsay had to die. As the police said, “there is a large group of people that have first-hand knowledge about what happened but they are not talking”.
Christina B was close friends with the Delalcazars and Miguel Rivas Franco prior to the Calgary Drug Bust – she is still close friends with them today. Did Alycia and Christina decide that an innocent girl’s life was not as important as their loyalty to the group? Is that the reason for their silence?
AFTER LINDSAY’S MURDER THE DELALCAZARS WERE SELLING OFF ALL THEIR ASSETS – WHILE MATHESON’S BUSINESS CONTINUED TO PROSPER.
IN THE FALL OF 2015 Two police officers were knocking at Rianne Gracia’s door. One was a Saanich police officer, and the other was an RCMP Serious Crimes officer from the mainland. Rianne was taken by surprise and was not happy about their visit. She would not let them enter her home but she did agree to meet with them at the Victoria police station. Rianne knew she had no choice but to co-operate, because if she did not they could show up at her place of employment, and she would not want that.
Rianne had experienced their intimidation tactics before – as the cops were tracking her every move after Lindsay’s murder. They would show up at her workplace and other places when she least expected it. Were the well-respected Zailo realtor family telling the Saanich Police that Rianne was trying to set them up – and if so, did the Saanich Police believe it.
WHEN RIANNE’S COCAINE DRUG DEALING BOYFRIEND was murdered in 2001 she took a year leave of absence from UVIC. She wanted to be at the trial of the conspirators who had set her boyfriend up to be killed. Rianne did what she could to help the police in their investigation – however she did not really learn from this terrible experience because she went right back to associating with gangsters and drug dealers. She loved the bad boys. In fairness, she was young. And now, not only had she lost a boyfriend she cared deeply for, she lost her best friend Lindsay.
AFTER LINDSAY’S MURDER Rianne was unemployed for a long time. She claimed she needed to recover from the trauma of losing such a close friend. Later, she went from one job to another, then in 2015 she landed a good position with the government. However, the stress of this new job was too much for her, and she was compelled to take two leave of absences in the 1st year. Then in 2018, in Victoria, Rianne was assaulted by a male who lived in her condo building.
Due to the physical injuries and trauma she sustained, she took a temporary leave of absence from her government job. She has never returned to work, and currently lives at her mother’s home in Langford. After the assault, Rianne sued the owner of the condo building & the property management company. If the Zailo’s set Rianne up – then they are pure evil, and no damn wonder the girl has been on stress leave all these years.
Rianne has filed harassment complaints against individuals who dared to reach out to her wanting to talk. Either the passage of time did not lay hot coals on the conscience of this young woman or she is refusing to co-operate because she knows that no one is believing what she has to say. Just imagine if she has been telling the truth all along and the Zailo’s set her up. Like Rianne said, PURE EVIL.
RIANNE GRACIA & VID ACEVEDO
JASON ZAILO – WHY ALL THE LIES?
Speculation about Jason Zailo’s involvement in Lindsay’s murder has never ended. But remember, he was cleared by the Saanich Police, and HE IS NOT A SUSPECT.
However, here we are 12 years later and many people are still convinced that Jason played a role in Lindsay’s murder. Things could have been so different – but unfortunately Jason’s lies and actions have left a trail of suspicion behind him.
Jason acquired his real estate license in 2006 and his mortgage broker’s license in 2007. He was 26 years old. It is uncertain what he did for a living prior to 2007. Jason sold 3 homes in 2007 and 2 in 2008. Not enough income to even make a living – yet his attire and the vehicles he drove portrayed him as a realtor bringing in 300 K a year. It was well known that Jason was very lazy and relied on his mother for everything. He never paid his taxes on time and had registered CRA judgements against him. Every year he let his mortgage broker’s license lapse – always doing a late renewal. Jason needed constant babysitting and the girlfriends he lived with were always very accommodating and would do his work for him.
Perhaps this is the reason Jason never owned property up until a few years ago. He made very little money until he got his Dominion Lending franchise up and running, so probably would not have qualified for a mortgage in the early years. When he wasn’t living in his mother’s house on Haida Drive, he was living in a property that she owned. None the less he always drove luxury vehicles even though their is no paperwork to support that he could afford the payments on the vehicles he owned/leased.
Jason did not like real estate, and perhaps that is why he was not successful in the business. In early 2009 Jason purchased a Dominion Lending Franchise. In fairness, a Dominion Lending franchise can be purchased for a mere $25,000. However, the operating costs of the business the 1st few years can be costly – and I would suspect that leasing space at Upton is very dear. You would need to have some savings tucked away to start up and maintain a business like this the first few years. If it was Jason’s mother Shirley who put up the money for the franchise it would come as no surprise.
IN 2013 JASON WAS SUED OVER A MORTGAGE DEAL GONE WRONG.
The plaintiff won the case, but in the process he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement as part of the deal. Non-disclosure agreements are a way to protect confidential information meant to be kept under wraps. So we will never know the amount the plaintiff sued for or the amount he was awarded. What is most interesting, is that when Jason pulled up to the Duncan Court house in his truck, he was accompanied by his mother Shirley Zailo. Not in a separate vehicle but in the passenger seat of Jason’s truck. Why would a 33-year old guy need to bring his mother with him? Why, because, whenever Jason is in trouble his mother is right there to bail him out.
Jason has been living the high live since Lindsay’s murder – he has built a few homes up on Bear Mountain, and just recently moved into his new 2M dollar property.
For a few years Jason loved touring around in his sleek black Audi 8. (130G) It made him look like the big man around town. He has given up his Audi 8 now, and is driving his new truck, a Ford 150 2019 Raptor. When Jason is not golfing you will find him hanging out with the “in crowd” at JACK’S PLACE – the clubhouse on Bear Mountain.
YES, JASON MADE IT TO THE TOP.
JASON ZAILO’S VISIT TO CHRIS SCHWARTZ THE NIGHT HE WAS RELEASED FROM THE SAANICH POLICE STATION
What was so important that Jason had to run to see Chris Schwartz at his 4th floor Songhees condo the night he was released from the Saanich Police Station? Why was he friends with this drug trafficker to begin with? Did Chris have something to do with Lindsay’s murder? Did Jason and Chris need to talk about what happened the night before? Did they need to get their stories straight? A source said that Jason went to Chris’s place to ask him if the boys from Van (HA) could have murdered Lindsay, but Jason had a different story as to why he went there that night. There was only two people in that conversation Jason and Chris. Both have been known to lie, so neither can be believed. If Jason wanted to know whether the Hells Angels were involved all he had to do was pick up the phone and ask his good friend Ziggy Matheson, who was an associate of the HA.
Remember, the police had sealed off access to Jason and Lindsay’s Songhees condo right after the murder so Jason was staying at his mother’s house on Haida Drive for a few days. This means that Jason would have a 25 minute drive just to get to Chris’s condo that night. You would think his mother would question who he was going to visit so late at night. (10:00 pm) or maybe she knew who he was going to see and why. After Lindsay’s murder the realtor scuttlebutt in Victoria was that Jason owed a lot of money to drug dealers, and if this was true, it could explain why Jason was in such a hurry to see Chris Schwartz. Maybe Jason knew it was the HA who murdered Lindsay, and it would have sense why he did everything he could to stay away from DeSousa that fateful night.
Was Jason trying to establish distance between himself and Ziggy Matheson. Jason knew in all likelihood his movements were being watched in the days following the murder. So his visit to Chris that night could have been deliberate to give the appearance he didn’t know anything and was looking for answers. Just maybe Jason wasn’t scared at all. We do know that when Jason was greeted at Chris’s door he showed no emotion, and was cold as ice like nothing had happened. He was not acting like a man who had just lost his girlfriend to murder.
Jason’s cumulative behavior in the days leading up to Lindsay’s murder and his actions that night at the DeSousa property are bizarre and it is just difficult to believe that he did not suspect that something was going to happen in the house that night. So may people have said that Jason is stupid and could never have pulled off an elaborate scheme like this. But no one is saying that Jason played any part in Lindsay’s murder, only that he might have known that something was going to happen there that night.
MANY OF LINDSAY’S FRIENDS SAID JASON SHOWED NO EMOTION/GRIEF AFTER LINDSAY’S MURDER WHEN EVERYONE ELSE DID – THAT AND THE LACK OF EMOTION HE SHOWED ON THE DATELINE SHOW LEAVES MANY QUESTIONS.
ZACHARY MATHESON’S SUPPLIER WAS THE HELLS ANGELS.
THE DELALCAZARS SUPPLIER WERE THE MEXICANS.
It is highly unlikely that Shirley Zailo would be connected to the Calgary drug shipment as some have suggested. The Mexicans supplied the Delalcazar group, and the Hells Angels supplied Zachary Matheson. Leopoldo (Leo) Beltran had all the connections to the Mexican cartel and the Delalcazars took their orders from Leo Beltran.
Shirley Zailo’s loyalty was to Zachary Matheson, and Zachary’s supplier was the Hells Angels. Shirley would not be consorting with the Delalcazars and the Mexicans. At times the Delalcazars and Matheson were friends and that is evidenced by pictures posted on the web. However, when it comes to money, drug dealers will always be competitors.
THE ZAILO FAMILY CONNECTION TO ZACHARY SCOTT MATHESON
ZACHARY SCOTT MATHESON had a juvenile record in Toronto Ontario for assaults, thefts, and drug trafficking. When he moved to Victoria in the mid 90’s, he picked up where he left off in Toronto. This career drug-dealing criminal moved up the ranks and became one of Vancouver Island’s most prominent drug traffickers. In February 2001, Zachary Matheson was charged with the murder of Kevin Black. The charges were later dropped. Not because Zachary Matheson was innocent, but because his co-accused David Niebergall took the fall. During the attack on Kevin Black, Zachary attacked his ex-girlfriend Shannon with the butt end of a revolver, leaving her hospitalized and severely injured. For that offense, he was charged with assault, and using a firearm while committed the assault. There was never a trial, or a conviction, because in 2001 his ex-girlfriend Shannon died of an overdose. The death was ruled an accidental overdose with no foul play suspected.
On June 6th, 2013, ZACHARY SCOTT MATHESON was arrested for trafficking in narcotics, and in 2014, he was charged with 4 counts of possession of cocaine, ecstasy & methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking. Zachary was running a marijuana grow operation at the 2768 Claude Road address, but the cocaine, ecstasy, and methamphetamine operation was run out of the stash house at #306 2788 Peatt Road. Zachary had 3 grow licenses registered against the Claude Road property. One of the licenses was registered in his mother’s name “Deborah Matheson”. At trial, the courts said, “Zachary Matheson was highly intelligent and therefore had mastered a very sophisticated drug operation”. Mr. Matheson had been in and out of jail 7 times prior to this latest drug charge. Matheson was referred to as a high-level drug trafficker well-known for his criminal associations on the island and linked to people in organized crime groups. Why did the Zailo’s associate with this man and then deny that they knew him?
At the time of Matheson’s arrest he was living at 2768 Claude Road in Langford, a home owned by prominent realtor SHIRLEY ZAILO. Shirley also owned the home next door at 2762 Claude Road and at one time she had rented that property to Zachary’s drug associate, Ali Ziaee. The stash house at #306 2778 Peatt Road where Ziggy was arrested was just a block away from his residence at 2768 Claude Road. When asked by CHEK NEWS about her Claude Road tenant, Shirley Zailo responded, “MY FAMILY HAS NO CONNECTION TO THE MAN THAT LIVES IN THE HOME.” That statement was untrue. Zachary was a long term tenant, and him and his mother Deborah had been friends with the Zailo family for years. Credible sources say that Matheson used to come by the Re/Max office to visit with Shirley, and they would sit and have coffee in her office. Not only that, but when the Zailo family went on holidays they often took Zachary Matheson with them. The Zailo family and Lindsay went to Whistler on a family get-a-way over Christmas and New Years in 2007/2008. And who else was on that trip with them? Zachary Matheson.
Ryan Zailo has always had Ziggy Matheson on his Facebook friend’s list and still does today. Matheson has been Ryan’s best friend for years, and he played hockey with the Zailo boys – and was an invited guest at the Zailo home on a number of occasions, even AFTER HE WAS ARRESTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING in 2013. Shirley claims her family had no connections to the man that lived in the Claude Road house, yet she DID NOT evict Zachary Matheson who had just been arrested on a narcotics charge. Zachary Scott Matheson’s arrest bought Shirley Zailo a great deal of negative attention but she still stood by his side. She was a realtor and manager of a well-respected real estate company and you would think the first thing she would do is give her drug-trafficking tenant legal notice to vacate the premises. Instead, she allowed him to continue living there. There is a strong possibility that Zachary Matheson was the owner of the home at 2768 Claude Road even though Shirley Zailo’s name was on the title.
ZACHARY MATHESON has never had a legitimate source of income in his entire life. He ran a CASH ONLY BUSINESS selling drugs and breeding pittbulls. Shirley Zailo had to know what Zachary Matheson did for a living and so did her sons. There is a strong bond between the Zailo and Matheson family. What that bond is we may never know. ZACHARY SCOTT MATHESON was released from jail in late 2019. after serving 1/3 of his 5 year sentence. He has a wife and 2 small children now so let’s hope he makes better choices in his life.
https://www.bccourts.ca/jdb-txt/sc/17/05/2017BCSC0569.htm
EVERY HIGH-LEVEL DRUG TRAFFICKER needs someone to launder their dirty money. One realtor, one mortgage broker, one bank appraiser, who is willing to take the risk for a share of the profits is all it takes. Lawyers often encounter the proceeds of crime and money laundering, and can unwittingly facilitate the money laundering process by acting as a nominee, conducting financial and commercial transactions, incorporating companies, handling real property transfers or merely by receiving cash.
LUXURY VEHICLES, REAL ESTATE & MONEY LAUNDERING ARE ALL TIED TOGETHER.
WHO WAS LAUNDERING ZACHARY MATHESON’S DIRTY MONEY?
https://cullencommission.ca/introductory-statement/
When Matheson’s mother Deborah Matheson moved back to Ontario in 2017, she said to Shirley on Facebook, “Take care of our boys Shirley.” When Ziggy’s brother Jimmy passed away in 2018, the Zailo’s offered their condolences. Jimmy had an extensive criminal history for drug offenses, assaults, breaking and entering etc. All of this happened after Zachary’s arrest in 2013. Shirley Zailo continued her friendship with Zachary Scott Matheson after his arrest, and made no attempt to evict him from her 2768 Claude Road property. IT IS HARD NOT TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THEY WERE ALL IN BUSINESS TOGETHER.
Deborah Matheson Very lovely say hello to the boys (Men) for me💝😊Shirley Zailo Thanks Deb and will do
IN 2016 SHIRLEY ZAILO’S SISTER MADE THIS FACEBOOK POST:
Thank you for the invite to sign this very important issue. I hope enough other people get the chance to read Harry Armstrong’s Petition letter, so that we can finally put an end to the greed that has now become REAL ESTATE…..
A lot of people, Realtors & sellers, have gotten rich. I have a sister and 2 nephews in the business, and have sat back and watched them all become very rich indulging in this unbelievable misconduct. Please, everyone who reads this Petition, please sign it…..
3,147 signatures are still needed!Canadian Real Estate Association: Tell Canadian regulators to stop real estate corruption and shadow flipping! – Sign the Petition!
STATEMENTS MADE BY JASON ZAILO AND HIS MOTHER ON DATELINE NBC NOVEMBER 2010.
When Dateline’s JOSH MANKIEWICZ asked Jason about his relationship with Lindsay, Jason said there were no problems between them – everything was fine. This is contradictory to what Lindsay’s friends said in an interview with Vancouver Island’s A Channel News.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfU7L6du8XU
Lindsay’s girlfriends said that Lindsay had been talking about breaking up with Jason Zailo a few months before her death. Clearly though, Lindsay had changed her mind and decided to give her relationship with Jason another try. Lindsay really wanted to be with her old boyfriend Matt, but he had recently announced his engagement to another girl. He had moved on and Lindsay was heartbroken.
Shirley Zailo told Josh that the night before Lindsay was murdered, her and Lindsay had gone for a walk together, and that Lindsay shared with her that she was afraid of her ex-boyfriend Matt. Everyone knows that Lindsay was not afraid of Matt. This statement was made by a mother trying to protect her son by putting the heat on the old boyfriend.
SHIRLEY ZAILO MADE A CALL to Lindsay’s friend Nikki on the Sunday morning after the murder. She said that the call was accidental, and that she had meant to call her receptionist Niki in the Re/Max office. If Jason put Nikki’s number in Shirley’s phone as she claims why wouldn’t he put in her last name too? Niki in the office spells her name with one k, while Lindsay’s friend Nikki spells her name with two k’s. And let’s not forget, the receptionist Niki had worked in the Re/Max officer for nearly 20 years. Shirley would have her number memorized or at least on speed dial. Shirley’s story is not believable.
Josh MANKIEWICZ asked Jason: “There are people that say you and Lindsay were having problems”. Jason replied, “there is no truth to that whatsoever”. All Jason had to do was admit that him and Lindsay had problems in the past but that they had worked things out.
Lies have a bad habit of following you around, and in this case the lies have followed Jason and his mother for 12 years
WHY HAVEN’T THE ZAILO’S FILED A CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAIN LINDSAY’S FATHER?
Although Lindsay’s father Jeff has been a crusader for his daughter Lindsay these past 12 years, he has also spent 12 years slandering the name of Jason Zailo, Shirley Zailo and Ryan Zailo. The Zailo family were cleared of having any involvement in Lindsay’s murder, so why have they never sued Jeff Buziak for defamation of character. For 12 years they have sat back and let him trash them publicly. Why? DON’T INNOCENT PEOPLE FIGHT BACK?
They could have brought this man before the courts years ago and held him accountable. Why haven’t they? Is it because they are concerned about certain information coming out in a court of law? If they have never been involved in anything illegal they should have nothing to be concerned about. They need to put a stop to this man’s persistent public attacks on their family. DON’T THEY?
THE CALGARY DRUG CONNECTION AND ERICKSON DELALCAZAR
In November 2007 someone informed the Calgary Police about the drug shipment heading from Victoria BC to Calgary Alberta. Only ERICKSON LOPEZ DELALCAZAR and Graham Scott Taylor were arrested in that January 2008 bust. Erickson was denied bail. The others charged in that HIGH NOON BUST were not arrested until the fall of 2008. Erickson was the target, and whoever the informant was wanted the Delalcazars to go down. Edgar Ovidio Acevedo was a close friend of the Delalcazars and “allegedly” he was in charge of the drug shipment to Calgary. After Erickson Delalcazar served his time he returned to Victoria and continued on in the drug trafficking business. It caught up with him in January 2017, when he was arrested and charged with trafficking in narcotics. The charges were later dropped due to lack of sufficient evidence. His close friend Edgar Acevedo (Vid) was also charged in that same bust. Charges against him were also dropped.
CIRILO BAUTISTA LOPEZ has been involved in crime since the day he stepped foot on Canadian soil back in the late 70’s. His nephews, the Delalcazar brothers entered Canada a few years later, and quickly followed in their uncle’s footsteps. Their crimes range from domestic abuse, to violent assaults, weapon offenses and trafficking in narcotics. They have plagued the streets of Victoria/Langford for years and have little regard for human life.
LEOPOLDO ROJO BELTRAN was one of the men charged in the Calgary Drug bust but not until the fall of 2008. He is a citizen of Mexico with ties to a Mexican drug cartel. At the time of the bust, Leo was married to the sister of Medardo and Miguel Franco Rivas. Miguel and Medardo were close friends of the Delalcazars & Vid Acevedo. At the time of Lindsay’s murder, Leo Beltran lived in Calgary and his sister Hermila lived in Burnaby. Both spoke Spanish.
The female suspect called Lindsay with the soul intention of luring her to the 1702 Desousa property. Leo and Hermila are the most likely suspects to have gone into the 1702 DeSousa home that night and they fit the description the witnesses gave. An 8 million dollar (street value) loss is a strong motive for murder. It would be very personal to the players who fronted the money and suffered the loss.
QUESTIONABLE STATEMENTS POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA
SHAWNIGAN LAKE PROPERTY Shirley Zailo purchased the Shawnigan Lake property in the spring of 2007, and the title showed it was registered in her name She did NOT buy it for Jason and Lindsay as has been posted all over social media. She bought it for her own personal use, and for her family to enjoy. She still owns that property today. Jason & Lindsay lived at Shawnigan Lake for a few short months, then relocated back to Victoria to be closer to work. Jason & Lindsay rented a condo at #218 68 Songhees Road. That brand new high-end luxury condo was purchased by Ryan Zailo in 2007, and the title showed it was registered in his name.
ON APRIL 2ND 2008, JUST TWO MONTHS AFTER LINDSAY’S MURDER Shirley Zailo registered a PRIVATE MORTGAGE against the Songhees condo. Shirley was the mortgage holder. The timing is suspect and the reason for her doing this is unknown. That same property sold in late 2019, and at the time of sale it was still in Ryan’s name. A luxury real estate property purchased by a guy only 23 years old in 2007.
RYAN ZAILO CONFESSION In 2018 there was a 2nd confession posted on a social media blog. The post accused Ryan Zailo of being the person who stabbed Lindsay Buziak to death. Ryan Zailo had a “VERIFIED ALIBI” for his whereabouts that evening, he was nowhere near the crime scene so Ryan Zailo DID NOT MURDER Lindsay Buziak.
THE REFERRAL CLIENT. John Lordan, the host of the Brainscratch podcast asked Lindsay’s dad about the referral client who had recommended Lindsay to the Mexican couple. Mr. Buziak stated that Lindsay had called the referral client but she did not reach them, and that their answering machine had a recording saying they were away on holidays. Mr. Buziak told John that Lindsay gave him the client’s name but he could not remember it. Unfortunately, no one else has ever come forward to say that Lindsay shared that same information with them, and this is why the police have never publicly acknowledged that there was a referral client.
Who leaves a message on their answering machine saying they are away on holidays? Clearly not someone who is concerned about the security/safety of their home while they are away.
Brainscratch Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8hEafIPHbM at 21:05 min.
DID JASON ZAILO GIVE A DNA SAMPLE TO THE SAANICH POLICE?
Rumors that Jason Zailo refused to give his DNA to the police prior to leaving the Saanich Police Station are false. Det. Chris Horsley stated, “Jason Zailo was under intense scrutiny and was co-operative in every way.” Saanich Police spokesperson Dean Jantzen stated, “Jason Zailo, Shirley Zailo, and Ryan Zailo met with our detectives over the past couple of days of their own free will, voluntarily, and have satisfied every investigative request that our detectives have had of them”
JASON’S REASON FOR GOING TO THE DESOUSA PROPERTY THAT EVENING
There has been much speculation as to why Jason was going to the Desousa property that evening. Some say he was supposed to be there to watch over Lindsay. Jason’s story is that him and Lindsay were working on a REAL ESTATE deal together, and that time was of the essence. He claimed he had to go to SHC first to pick up documents, then deliver the documents to Lindsay at the Desousa property. This story was fabricated. Lindsay and Jason were NOT working on a deal together, and he did NOT need to deliver documents to Lindsay. Jason was supposed to be at the house at 5:30 because Lindsay had asked him to be there. Unfortunately he arrived 15 minutes late. Either Jason did not see the importance of being there on time, or he avoided being at the DeSousa home at 5:30 for another reason.
SHC AUTOGRAPHIX is a 4-5 MINUTE DRIVE FROM SAUCE RESTAURANT WHERE LINDSAY & JASON WERE HAVING A LATE LUNCH. THEY LEFT SAUCE AT 4:30.
Why didn’t Lindsay just follow Jason over to SHC, grab the signed contract, then head over to 1702 DeSousa for the 5:30 showing? Why did Jason need to spent an hour at SHC? He didn’t leave the SHC premises until 5:30. How long does it take to pick up a signed contract? JASON ZAILO’S ACTIONS THAT NIGHT WERE IRRESPONSBILE, COWARDLY OR DOWNRIGHT DELIBERATE, and which one would depend on the real reason Jason did not show up at the DeSousa house at 5:30 like he had promised Lindsay he would.
Why didn’t Jason follow Lindsay to the DeSousa property in his own vehicle, stay for the 5:30 showing then go to meet his clients at SHC? Jason was friends with the owners of SHC, and sold Joe Semren a home in October 2007. If they were friends, why didn’t Jason just ask them to stop by Sauce with the signed contract? That way Lindsay would have the contract in hand, and Jason could have followed her over to the house to keep watch.
Even if time was of the essence, a few hours or an overnight delay was not likely to kill the deal. So why not just wait until the next morning.
THE TRUTH IS:
LINDSAY AND JASON WERE NOT WORKING ON A DEAL THAT NIGHT.
After leaving SAUCE with Lindsay at 4:30 Jason went to SHC Autographx for one reason. He was trying to list Nada Azouri’s condo – Nada was the girlfriend of owner Joe Semren. Now his wife.
Lindsay played no part in that LISTING and even if she had she would not have needed to sign anything that night. The listing agreement for Nada’s condo at 2747 Quadra was actually signed on February 4th, so how could Lindsay have a buyer for the property when Jason hadn’t even listed the property yet?
THE REAL REASON JASON WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE HOUSE WAS BECAUSE LINDSAY WAS WORRIED AND HAD ASKED HIM TO BE THERE.
Why call your brother to get directions to the DeSousa house when you already knew where it was?
Why did Jason need to take Cohen Oatman with him that evening? Jason was not playing hockey until 10:10, so what were the 2 going to be doing between 6:00 and 10:00 pm?
Why didn’t Jason hop that fence and be the 1st person in the house? Why send your friend in first? What was Jason afraid of?
JASON ZAILO PLAYED NO PART IN CONSPIRING TO MURDER LINDSAY.
For some reason Jason did everything he could to avoid being at the Desousa property at 5:30 that evening. Did he take Cohen Oatman along with him because he feared for his own life? Did he think the Hells Angels were after him? Lindsay did not know the name of the client she was meeting. She was meeting a couple she had never met before, AFTER DARK, in an EMPTY HOUSE, in a quiet cu-de-sac with unoccupied new homes. Jason should have found this VERY suspicious. Even if Lindsay had insisted on going alone, a responsible boyfriend, realtor/mortgage broker would have stepped in and said. “NO, YOU ARE NOT GOING ALONE”. Jason’s mother Shirley Zailo should have known this was a high-risk situation Lindsay was walking into and she should have made certain that Lindsay did not go alone.
JASON ZAILO’S ACTIONS THAT NIGHT WERE IRRESPONSBILE, COWARDLY OR DOWNRIGHT DELIBERATE and which one would depend on the real reason Jason did not show up at the DeSousa house at 5:30 like he had promised Lindsay he would. He may have suspected that someone was coming for him and not Lindsay. If he feared for his own life it would explain why he asked Cohen Oatman to go with him. Cohen is an innocent guy who got played by Jason. If this were all true, Jason likely paid his debt right after Lindsay’s murder. Or his mother did. Fact is, the boys from Vancouver would never have killed Lindsay over a small drug debt.
If Shirley was aware of Jason’s drug debts, she may have been seriously concerned when Lindsay got the call to show 1702 DeSousa Place. She may have believed it was her son who was in danger. NOT LINDSAY. So she instructs Jason not to go anywhere near that house. Were they thinking that if Jason was not there Lindsay would be fine? But, what if the boys from Van were actually targeting Lindsay?
Then again, what if it was the MAIN INFORMANT who was concerned when Lindsay got the call to show the DeSousa property? After all, the MAIN INFORMANT made that November call and ratted out the Delalcazar crime group. This person would have good reason to be afraid, and they could be very suspicious of an after-dark showing in a vacant house. The identity of the main informant is being protected because they may be a key witness if this case ever gets to trial. WHO IS THE MAIN INFORMANT?
IN 2018 THE SAANICH POLICE MADE THIS PUBLIC STATEMENT
10 Year Remembrance of Lindsay Buziak Murder
On February 2, 2008, local realtor Lindsay Buziak was murdered in the Gordon Head area of Saanich, British Columbia. Since this date, investigators from the Saanich Police have worked diligently to identify, apprehend, and prosecute those responsible.
As the investigation approaches the 10-year milestone since Lindsay’s murder, the Saanich Police wish to reaffirm their organizational commitment as they work towards justice for Lindsay Buziak and her family and friends.
The murder investigation conducted by the Saanich Police was subject to a review by the RCMP Office of Investigational Standards and Practices (OISP), which reaffirmed the investigational processes being undertaken by Saanich Police. As with all police agencies across Canada, the standards of Major Case Management (MCM) provide a strict framework relating to the manner and structure of the police investigational team. Also, Saanich Police participated in Strategic Advisory Groups with other homicide officers from across the Province including members of IHIT from the lower mainland. All of these steps were undertaken to ensure the highest level of investigational standards were being met.
Saanich Police have worked tirelessly with the RCMP and Victoria Police in partnerships to achieve success. After 10-years of work, we regret that success has not been achieved to date in our investigation. As with other pre-planned and targeted murders, the perpetrators and/or conspirators have taken steps to avoid apprehension by police. We believe multiple persons have personal and first-hand knowledge regarding the murder of Lindsay Buziak and have withheld this information from police.
As with all criminal offences in British Columbia, the standard of Crown Counsel charge approval must be met. Saanich Police are continuing to work towards success in this investigation, and the case remains active and ongoing as we move towards a successful conclusion to this investigation.
CONCLUSION:
Everything Shirley and Jason did in the 48 hours leading up to Lindsay’s murder suggests that both of them knew what was going to happen to Lindsay once she stepped inside that house. It could be that Shirley Zailo set her son up, and he was blind to what was going on. However, when you look at all of Jason’s actions/strange behavior the day of the murder everything points to him knowing exactly what was going to happen to Lindsay.
The Calgary Drug Bust – an eight- million-dollar loss is a strong motive for Lindsay’s execution style murder. The Saanich Police have been focused on the people involved in the Calgary Drug Bust since Day 1, therefore it is highly probable that this is the group who conspired to murder Lindsay. But never forget – someone picked up the phone, called the Calgary Police and ratted out the drugs heading to Calgary. The two events intersect and that is the connection between Shirley Zailo and the Calgary Drug Bust.
Understandably, the identify of the main informant has been well-protected for a number of reasons. But think about this – if the main informant had not made that November 2007 call to the Calgary Police Department – chances are Lindsay Buziak would still be alive. The main informant should seriously consider tightening up her security right about now.
Email: murderondesousa@gmail.com