Episode 148: Lynda Marques – Bite-Sized Crime

When a nurse is gunned down in a quiet Ontario neighborhood, police launch a large-scale investigation. Who killed Lynda Marques, and why?

Episode Media

Masked suspects and the black Volkswagen Jetta caught on surveillance camera at the scene *(London Police)*

Surveillance image of Osman Ali Afandy *(London Police)*

Gray Ford Fusion believed to have been driven by Osman Ali Afandy *(London Police)*

Surveillance image of the Ford Fusion and Volkswagen Jetta traveling together down Meadowlily Road South where the Jetta was later found abandoned *(London Police)*

Distance between crime scene and where the black Jetta was later found abandoned *(Google Maps)*

Episode Sources

Episode Transcript

Welcome back to Bite-Sized Crime. This week I’m bringing you an ongoing case from Canada, one that has made good progress towards justice, but investigators are still searching for answers. This episode discusses sensitive topics, so listener discretion is advised.

On the evening of Friday, September 10, 2021, residents of the Fox Hollow neighborhood in the city of London, Ontario, were enjoying the last few hours of daylight. Children played in a small park while the adults walked along the path, basking in the cool fall breeze. But the peace and quiet of the neighborhood was suddenly shattered as the sound of gunshots filled the air. Chaos descended as families ran for cover. Someone yelled out that there had been a shooting at the house next to the playground; a few bystanders moved closer to the scene while others called the police.

Within minutes, emergency personnel were on the scene, and neighbors watched in stunned silence as a woman was pulled from a white SUV and loaded into an ambulance. Officers from the London Police Service cordoned off the street and began speaking to witnesses, trying to piece together what had happened.

Multiple witnesses described seeing a black vehicle park in front of 2229 Wateroak Drive, a two-story home that bordered the small park. Two men in dark clothes, masks covering their faces, jumped out of the car and ran toward the house. They approached the white SUV that sat in the driveway, firing several shots into the vehicle before running back to the black car and speeding away.

One witness told the London Free Press that right after the shooting, she saw a man come out of the home’s garage and run towards the white SUV. He looked distraught and began kicking the car. The witness pulled out her phone, but the man shouted at her to put it down, perhaps afraid that she would try to take pictures of the scene. As police arrived, the witness joined the other neighbors in watching helplessly as the victim was treated by paramedics.

It wasn’t long before news of the shooting reached the local media. London Police announced that the woman who had been shot was 30-year-old Lynda Cruz Marques. Sadly, doctors at the hospital were unable to save her, and she died from her injuries.

Lynda was a registered nurse who had been working in the medical field since 2014. She had degrees from Centennial College and Ryerson University and had most recently worked at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. About 6 weeks before her death, Lynda had announced on Instagram that she was launching her own aesthetic medicine practice in London. She was excited about this new chapter in her life.

Lynda and her longtime boyfriend Ali, with financial assistance from Ali’s parents, had purchased the house on Wateroak Drive in August of 2020. Around that same time, Lynda gave birth to a baby boy, and the little family settled into neighborhood life. Sadly, they would live there barely a year before Lynda’s life was taken by violence.

After Lynda’s death, questions and rumors swirled. The Fox Hollow neighborhood was usually quiet and safe; now, residents were afraid to leave their homes. How could a young mother with a promising career be gunned down in broad daylight?

Almost immediately, the London Police Service assembled a task force that focused exclusively on Lynda’s case. According to Deputy Chief Paul Reynolds, approximately 30 officers from the criminal investigations division worked with experts to track down evidence. “The complexity [required] trained people from many different areas of the organization to come together to investigate [a case] of that magnitude.”

From the beginning, investigators believed that Lynda’s death had been a targeted attack, but they weren’t entirely sure that Lynda had been the intended target. Everyone described her as kind and caring, smart and driven. She loved helping others and treated everyone with respect. She didn’t have a criminal record or any known enemies, and there was nothing in her past that suggested she would be targeted for murder.

Naturally, investigators wondered if Lynda’s boyfriend could somehow be connected to her death. Ali Raza Bhatti was no stranger to police. He had multiple drug and weapons charges on his record, the most recent being from June of 2020. Was it possible that Ali’s criminal connections had crossed into his personal life? Had he been the intended target?

Investigators focused on the witnesses who said that the gunmen had been driving a black car. Thankfully, Lynda and Ali’s house had two security cameras installed above the garage. The video footage clearly captured the moments before and after the murder, corroborating the witness statements. At approximately 7:52pm on September 10th, a black Volkswagen Jetta pulled up in front of the house on Wateroak Drive, and two men got out. Both wore dark clothes from head to toe and surgical masks to hide their faces. They rushed up to where Lynda’s SUV was parked in the driveway, fired several shots into the vehicle, then ran back to the black Jetta and drove away.

Five days after the murder, in a stroke of luck, the black Jetta was found abandoned on Meadowlily Road South, approximately 20 kilometers away from Lynda’s home. Investigators learned that the car had been stolen on September 5th from Scarborough, a district of Toronto. London Police put out a statement, requesting help from the public. Detective Sergeant Sean Travis told the press, “We believe that the car located on Wednesday is the same one used during the commission of this murder. Its discovery provides an opportunity to advance the investigation into this horrific incident and we are appealing for anyone with information to contact us.”

After the car was discovered, the investigation went quiet in the media, but the task force was hard at work behind the scenes, tracking down potential suspects and searching for clues. London Police were even present at Lynda’s funeral, likely to keep an eye out in case anyone involved in her death decided to make an appearance.

In January of 2022, Lynda’s case popped back up in the news when her boyfriend Ali was arrested on drug and weapons charges. London Police served a search warrant on Ali’s vehicles and on the house on Wateroak Drive, prompting speculation that it was connected to the murder investigation. However, police issued a statement saying that the two weren’t connected, but reminding the public that they were still seeking information in Lynda’s case.

Two months later, London Police officially released the surveillance images of the two gunmen in front of Lynda’s home, hoping to spark new leads. In a news release, they announced that they believed the gunmen had traveled from Toronto to London on September 9th, killed Lynda on the 10th, then abandoned the Jetta in a wooded area shortly after. The release also stated that police were searching for three suspects, not two as previously believed.

In an interview with Global News, Detective Inspector Alex Krygsman reiterated that while the investigation was active and ongoing, they needed the public’s assistance. “Since the time that Lynda was tragically murdered, this has been an investigation that has continued non-stop with significant resources. I can tell you that we’ve made good progress in this investigation and we’re continuing to move it forward… We believe that there are people out there who know additional details that would help us, about why Lynda was murdered and who was involved… We would like to hear from them.”

In April of 2022, London Police released another surveillance image, this time of a man they said was a person of interest, someone who they believed had important information about Lynda’s murder. In the image, a man is seen walking with a cup of coffee, wearing black pants, a black Adidas track top, a black puffer vest, and a white mask over his face. Detective Inspector Krygsman told the press that they needed help identifying the man in the picture. “We’ve done a significant amount of work on this investigation and this is a person who has come to our attention that we’d like to speak to… The public is really the eyes and ears of our community, so we’re coming back to… ask them for additional information and help us trace his movements.”

Two weeks later, police announced that they had made an arrest. Eighteen-year-old Ammar Patel had been charged with first-degree murder. According to London Police, Patel had been in custody since November on drug and weapons charges, but over time, investigators had been able to connect him to Lynda’s murder. Detective Inspector Krygsman wouldn’t elaborate on Patel’s role in the homicide, nor would he say whether Patel was one of the gunmen in the surveillance footage. He did say that there were still several suspects at large. “The charge against Patel is not the end of this investigation. Multiple persons were involved in Lynda’s murder and there is more work to do. We continue to appeal for more information about this case. We believe there are people out there with more knowledge about Lynda’s murder.”

On May 12th, London Police announced another arrest. The man in the Adidas tracksuit had been identified as 23-year-old Osman Ali Afandy. Investigators believed that he had been driving a gray Ford Fusion on the day Lynda died, and that car had been caught on camera traveling with the black Jetta along Meadowlily Road, not far from where the Jetta was later dumped. It appeared that Afandy and the gunmen had traveled to and from Toronto together. Afandy was charged with first-degree murder. Once again, police renewed their plea to the public, asking for anyone with information about the gunmen to come forward.

When asked whether police believed Lynda’s murder was connected to her boyfriend Ali’s previous criminal charges, Detective Inspector Krygsman said, “I’m not prepared to say that at this point in time. We’re looking at all possibilities here that could provide a motive for her murder. And that’s what we’re continuing to do right now.”

After Patel and Afandy’s arrests, Lynda’s case went quiet again. In March of 2023, London Police announced the suspension of the task force but made it clear that Lynda’s case was still open and active and being handled by the major crimes unit. Deputy Chief Paul Reynolds told the London Free Press, “Just because a task force ends doesn’t mean it’s a closed investigation… Our officers did a great job and the task force was successful.”

As of this recording, the investigation into Lynda’s death is still ongoing. In April of 2024, Ali Bhatti was acquitted of the weapons charges against him, but in November, he was arrested again on more weapons charges. Police have not stated whether they believe his alleged criminal activity is connected to Lynda’s murder. According to the London Free Press, Lynda and Ali’s son is being cared for by family and is hopefully growing up in a safe, loving environment.

Lynda Cruz Marques was suddenly and shockingly taken away from her infant son, her family, and her friends in a brutal act of violence. She deserves justice; she deserves to be remembered.

If you have any information about the murder of Lynda Cruz Marques, please contact London Crime Stoppers in Canada at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online at londoncrimestoppers.com. And share Lynda’s story – someone out there knows something.