Liberty Village couple found guilty in slaying of filmmaker Reeyaz Habib

Khoa Tran guilty of second-degree murder, Isabelle Nguyen of being accessory, committing indignity to body

Published Jun 03, 2026  •  Last updated 5 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Software developer Khoa Tran is accused of killing his neighbour over complaints about barbecue fumes. Photo by Khoa Tran /Facebook

A married couple was reportedly found guilty late Wednesday after a dispute about barbecue fumes ended in the slaying of Liberty Village filmmaker Reeyaz Habib.

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The verdict against Khoa Tran, 36, and his wife Isabelle Nguyen, 30, was delivered at about 8:30 p.m., CityNews reported. Tran was found guilty of second-degree murder, while Nguyen was found guilty of accessory to murder and committing an indignity to a body.

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The decomposing remains of Habib, 55, were found by a garbage man on June 8, 2023, inside his condo complex’s trash compactor. Two notes were attached to the duct-taped bundle of towels and blankets concealing the remains, warning that it was heavy and not to open it because there were sharp materials inside.

Reeyaz Habib, 53, was found dead in a Liberty Village trash compactor on Thursday, June. 8, 2023. Photo by Handout /Toronto Police

Relationship deteriorated, court heard

Court later heard, via the Toronto Sun’s Michele Mandel, that Tran and Habib were friendly at first and would chat and share beers together at the complex at 26 Western Battery Rd., where Tran lived in a townhouse and Habib in a condo unit above him and his wife.

But the relationship deteriorated, court was told, with Habib frequently complaining about the fumes emanating from Tran’s barbecue.

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Tran testified during his trial that on June 6, 2023, he heard screams and the sounds of a struggle from Habib’s unit early in the morning before what sounded like someone falling down the stairs.

He told the court that he checked on his sleeping wife, looked outside and didn’t see anything before trying to continue his work as a software developer.

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Sentencing set for September

Tran testified that he didn’t call 911 and he also admitted that when questioned about the noises by a roommate the next day, he told her that Habib was just making a movie.

Court was told, however, during cross-examination that a neighbour testified that they saw Tran coming out of Habib’s unit on June 7, 2023, and locking the door, which Tran denied happening.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9, CityNews reported, as bail for Tran and Nguyen was revoked.

Tran faces an automatic life sentence, while Nguyen’s lawyers have proposed between 18 months to six years in prison for her offences, CityNews reported.

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