A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed by the Manitoba family of a 26-year-old woman murdered in 2012.
Kaila Tran was stabbed more than 30 times in broad daylight in a parking lot outside of her St. Vital apartment in 2012. Treyvonne Willis was convicted of first degree murder in 2015 and received a life sentence that will see him serve 25 years behind bars. His attempt at appeal using a duress defence was unsuccessful.
In 2017, the Tran family got the green light to file a civil lawsuit against Tran’s boyfriend Drake Moslenko, who had initially been charged with first degree murder, charges that were later stayed by the Crown for reasons not made public.
At the time, the Tran’s family lawyer Jamie Kagan said while a two-year deadline to file a civil suit had passed, the Court of Appeal allowed the suit due to new information in the case, video in which Willis allegedly said he would be killed by Moslenko if he didn’t kill Tran.
Kagan had also said the family did not want Moslenko to collect life insurance.
A letter dated April 18, 2019 from a lawyer on behalf of family stated that the matter had been settled, and trial dates set aside in early 2020 were no longer needed. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
CTV reviewed court documents from the lawsuit filed by the family, who received a copy of the Winnipeg Police Service file related to the investigation into Moslenko.
The lawsuit alleges the criminal charges against Moslenko were stayed due to a “technical evidentiary issue” and that Moslenko used a photo of O.J. Simpson as a social media profile picture.
The claim also alleges Willis told police in a video-taped statement that Moslenko told him: his “drug debts would be paid if he killed Moslenko’s girlfriend,” what time Tran left for work in the morning, that she would be alone in the parking lot at that time, and that Willis should steal from her after the attack to give the appearance of a robbery.
According to an affidavit filed by Tran’s sister, Tran was aware of infidelity and intended to break up with Moslenko. The affidavit also outlined details of life insurance policies.
None of the aforementioned allegations were tested or proven in the civil case and Moslenko had filed a statement of defence denying any involvement in Tran’s murder.
CTV News has reached out to lawyers for both parties for comment, but no response has been forthcoming.
-With files from CTV's Jon Hendricks