First-degree murder charges laid in Downsview florist's death
Felicia Hosany, 51, was found dead by her husband Rafick in the washroom of her Wilson Heights Boulevard and Sheppard Avenue flower shop. The mother of three died of suffocation, her mouth and nose covered by duct tape.
Hosany's flower shop, Flowers by Felicia, was robbed and ransacked the night of her murder.
Nevin Joseph, 22, and Andre Clarke, 33, both of Toronto, are each charged with first-degree murder. They appeared in court Thursday, May 8 at 10 a.m.
Both men were arrested April 15 in connection with several other robberies and were in police custody when the murder charges were laid.
Det. Sgt. Steve Ryan of the Homicide Squad said that the accused are facing first-degree murder charges because it would have been inevitable that the victim would die of suffocation if left bound and gagged for any length of time.
"Any time you duct tape somebody's entire head and face from the chin up, you'd have to be pretty sure that person's going to die soon," he said.
"They were looking for money. Unfortunately, the robbery turned into a homicide... Things just got out of control."
Ryan said that police are looking into a link between this incident and several other similar robberies in the GTA.
