Maple Ridge ‘escort’ bought ice cream after helping kill client

A Maple Ridge “escort” who participated in the beating death of her client also took his credit card and used it to buy pizza and ice cream just minutes after the attack before making other online purchases in the following days.

That shocking revelation was part of a sentencing report for Kimberley Grace Buitenweg and her boyfriend Joseph Shawn McWilliams, who both pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Surinderjit Singh after being originally charged with second-degree murder.

Singh’s body was found on March 4, 2023 in the parking lot of Maple Ridge Second School. Singh had arranged to meet Buitenweg at 8:30 p.m. the night before in the parking lot of the school. McWilliams then arrived and Singh was severely beaten. His body was left on the ground and the Buitenweg and McWilliams took his vehicle to leave the scene.

Crown counsel sought sentences of eight to nine years for both offenders, minus time served in pre-trial custody. The judge ended up sentencing each to five years in prison.

The case for second-degree murder was weakened by a lack of witnesses to what actually transpired inside the vehicle.

“I find that there is simply not enough evidence in the thin factual record before me to make a clear finding of fact that Ms. Buitenweg and Mr. McWilliams conspired beforehand to engage in the planned, unlawful assault of Mr. Singh,” the ruling said. “Even if the Crown was not seeking to rely on this inference as an aggravating factor, I would not be satisfied on the evidence that this finding could be made. The inferential gap in the evidence is too wide.”

The judge took into account the “appalling” childhoods of both Buitenweg and McWilliams when deciding on sentencing.

Singh had just had dinner with his daughter before the fatal beating took place. In victim-impact statements, Singh was described as a devoted father.