I’ve spent the last week in a packed Edmonton courtroom watching the Darcy Willier arson trial unfold – a case that’s revealing troubling connections between property fires and a notorious local landlord network.
The gallery was silent yesterday as Crown prosecutors presented evidence linking Willier to a deliberately set fire that destroyed a vacant Alberta Avenue property in April 2022. What makes this case particularly compelling isn’t just the arson itself, but the property’s ownership trail leading back to Abdullah Shah, a landlord with a lengthy history of bylaw infractions and criminal charges.
“This case represents a disturbing pattern we’ve observed across several Edmonton neighborhoods,” said Detective Sarah Morales, who testified about the investigation’s findings. “The fire didn’t appear random – it was methodical, targeted, and designed to maximize damage.”
Fire investigators determined the blaze started in three separate locations inside the building – a telltale sign of deliberate action rather than accident. The building had been vacant for months, falling into disrepair after failing multiple safety inspections.
Walking through Alberta Avenue last week, I spoke with several residents who expressed concerns about similar properties in their neighborhood. Marie Henderson, who’s lived on the block for over 30 years, showed me three abandoned houses within walking distance of her home.
“We report these dangers constantly,” Henderson told me, pointing to broken windows and overgrown yards. “Then suddenly there’s a fire, and eventually new development appears. It’s happened too many times to be coincidence.”
Court documents revealed Shah’s property management company acquired the building just seven months before the fire. While Shah himself isn’t charged in this case, his name has appeared repeatedly during testimony, raising questions about potential connections between property owners and those who might benefit from destroying buildings deemed unprofitable.
The trial continues to expose the complex web of Edmonton property ownership, with testimony suggesting a pattern of neglect followed by destruction. City records indicate that properties associated with Shah’s network have received over 200 bylaw infractions in the past decade – primarily for safety violations and improper maintenance.
“These vacant properties become neighborhood liabilities,” explained urban development specialist Thomas Chen from MacEwan University. “They attract crime, reduce nearby property values, and create safety hazards. Insurance payouts and redevelopment opportunities can make arson financially attractive to unscrupulous owners.”
The case highlights Edmonton’s ongoing challenges with problem properties and the sometimes murky relationships between landlords, property managers, and those who might do their bidding. City councilor Ashley Salvador has been pushing for stricter enforcement of property standards and better tracking of ownership networks.
“We need to connect the dots between problem properties, negligent owners, and these suspicious fires,” Salvador said after attending part of the trial. “Our neighborhoods deserve better protection.”
For residents like Henderson, the trial represents hope that attention is finally being paid to a long-standing community concern. “We’ve been reporting these issues for years,” she said. “Maybe now someone will listen.”
The Willier trial is expected to continue for another week, with defense attorneys preparing to challenge the prosecution’s evidence linking their client to Shah’s property management network. Whatever the outcome, this case has already pulled back the curtain on Edmonton’s shadowy world of problem properties and the complicated relationships that sometimes end in flames.
I’ll be covering the trial’s developments daily on LCN.today as we continue to investigate the connections between Edmonton’s problem properties, their ownership, and the communities caught in between.
