Arrest in 12 year old cold case

Twelve years after a violent murder in the city’s east end, Hamilton police have arrested and charged a Toronto man with first degree murder in the death of 22 year old Michael Parmer.

Back in August, Hamilton police issued a plea for witnesses to come forward to help solve the cold case. With the new information, detectives made an arrest yesterday morning bringing some closure for the Niagara Falls, New York family.

Police describe the murder on September 9 2005 as senseless, saying the 22 year old was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. He was in Hamilton hanging out with his four friends at the former CD’s Sportsbar on Roxborough and Ottawa st. After closing time people gathered outside in the parking lot, and Parmer was seen talking with a group of people. The group then heard a gunshot and saw Parmer lying on the parking lot ground with several people rushing to his aid. He had been shot in the head with a handgun.

Over the last 12 years police have been interviewing more than 100 witnesses and they have been combing through surveillance video to find the people responsible.

Thirty-two-year-old Jermaine Dunkley has been charged with first degree murder. He was arrested at John Sopinka Courthouse because Dunkley was already behind bars. He is on trial for another murder, an execution-style killing, of a man in Etobicoke in 2013.

At the time of Parmer’s death, Dunkley lived in Hamilton but moved to Toronto some time afterwards. According to court record, Dunkley has a lengthy criminal history with drug trafficking charges, assault and an ongoing murder trial. He will appear by video for his next court date on November 6.

Police credit the community for the arrest in Hamilton and thank all of the witnesses who came forward.

They are still looking for two others involved in the murder.