SURREY CRACK HOUSE TO BE RAZED

Two Accused Of Murder Over A Death At House

A dilapidated Surrey crack house dubbed by police as "a house of
horrors" will soon be torn down, possibly as early as today.

"The city has requested that it be demolished," Surrey's manager of
bylaws and licensing John Sherstone said Thursday of the house at
13832 108th Ave. "The owner has agreed, at his expense."

Sherstone also said that the city could have ordered the house
demolished under its unsightly premises bylaw, but didn't have to go
that route.

Mayor Doug McCallum said the city wanted the house demolished several
months ago, but police held it up because oftheir investigation.
"They're finished now with the house and yesterday gave their
permission. So we acted right away."

Two people have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of
a woman at the notorious crack house and three others had been under
investigation for the murder of a "John Doe" at the same house.

The three were released this week because prosecutors didn't have
enough evidence - a name and a body - to proceed with charges.

Surrey RCMP are confident the second murder took place, saying they
have one or more witnesses to the crime who are cooperating with them.

In surrey provincial court tuesday, Joseph Francis Legassie, 38, and
Joanna Lee Larson, 31, were formally charged with the murder of
Annette Allan, 27, whose bound body was found floating in th Fraser
River last June. Legassie and Larson were remanded in custody and
will be back in court next week.

Police say the 108th Avenue house Legassie lived in was used as a
torture chamber and for plotting crimes ranging from break-and-enter
to drug dealing.

The house was well known to police as a haven for drug
users.

McCallum said Surrey is trying to rid the community of such
dilapidated crack houses.

"It's a symbol. We don't want these houses in our community. We've
taken a whole bunch of these houses down. It's not the first and it
won't be the last."