Almost five years to the day that he was killed, a charge has been laid in the death of Jonathan Zak.
At a news conference at London police headquarters on Friday afternoon, Detective Sergeant Alex Krygsman announced that William Dwayne McDonald, 26, has been charged with second degree murder.
Jonathan Zak was shot dead as he walked home from a friend’s house in the early morning hours of May 31, 2012.
The 29-year-old Zak had spent the evening with friends and was walking on a footpath near Boullee St. and Victoria St. when he was shot.
"We believe that there were several people in the area at that time and that Jonathan became the intended target of a robbery as he passed through. We believe he was confronted at which time he was shot and killed," said Krygsman. "Jonathan did not appear to know his killer. He was simply walking home and he truly was an innocent victim."
McDonald has been in custody since February of last year. He was arrested and charged with second degree murder in the death of of Emmanuel Awai, 26, who was found dead in an apartment at 135 Connaught Ave. on December 28, 2016. He also faces charges stemming from a shooting in a parking lot in the area of John St. and Richmond St. on April 29, 2016. A man was critically injured in the incident but survived. Police issued an arrest warrant for McDonald and a second man, Samater Ali, in the days that followed.
And while the murders of Zak and Awai are not connected, apart from McDonald's alleged role in each, police say the investigation into Awai's murder provided information that helped solve Zak's murder.
"Over the course of the past several months, during the investigation into Emmanuel Awai's murder, we were able to acquire additional information, additional evidence that has led us to where we are today," said Krygsman.
Jonathan's mother, Jean Zak, and several members of the Zak family were at Friday's announcement at police headquarters. She thanked police and the community for never stopping the search for answers in her son's murder.
"On behalf of all of my family and Jonathan's friends, I want to express my sincere appreciation for the team's work on solving this case," she said. "I am so grateful that all of you never gave up and we now have someone charged."
Police are still investigating and believe there are people in the community who have information that has not yet been given to police.
"Today's development is the culmination of five years of ongoing investigation," said Krygsman. "Although there has been progress on the case over the course of time, investigators have always believed that there were witness in the community with information about who was responsible for this murder who were either afraid to come forward, or who did not otherwise wish to cooperate with police."
Anyone with information is asked to call London police or Crime Stoppers.