Imagine being a new real estate agent and receiving a phone call for a showing that would lead to your highest commission, only to discover that your clients had sinister intentions. It happened to 24-year-old Canadian realtor Lindsey Elizabeth Buziak.
On February 2, 2008, at approximately 5:40 p.m., Lindsay Buziak was murdered while showing a $1 million home at 1702 De Sousa Place in Saanich, BC. Due to a lack of evidence and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the case, Lindsey’s murder is still unsolved, and her killers still roam free today.
Background of Lindsay Buziak
Lindsay Buziak was born on November 2, 1983, to Jeff and Evelyn Buziak. She had one sister named Sara and was known as a wise, beautiful, and ambitious young woman. By her early 20s, she had a promising start to a career in real estate, becoming a realtor for ReMax Camosun, which caters to home buyers in the Victoria area.
Friends and family described Lindsay as being caring and popular. She also had a live-in boyfriend, Jason Zailo, who she had been dating for about a year. Jason was part of a wealthy and prominent family that owned a successful real estate business, and Lindsay worked for Jason’s mother, Shirley Zailo.
While it may not have seemed like it to bystanders, Lindsay and Jason’s relationship declined. According to Jeff Buziak, Lindsay’s father, Lindsay had visited him just a few weeks before the murder. During this visit, she revealed that she was in the process of breaking up with Jason and was planning to leave the Zailo realtor’s office.
Suspicious Phone Call
In late January 2008, Lindsay received a phone call from a woman who told her that she and her husband were urgently looking to purchase a home. The couple had a budget of $1 million and wanted to buy that weekend. Lindsay had reported that the caller had an accent that sounded “a bit Spanish, but not really.” She referred to the couple as the “Mexicans.”
While the opportunity to make a large commission was enticing, Lindsay felt like something was off about the situation.
First, the caller contacted Lindsay on her cell phone instead of her office phone. When she asked the caller how she had gotten her cell phone number, the caller responded that she got it from a previous client.
Lindsay tried contacting her previous client to confirm, but the client was out of town.
The couple’s budget was also a little suspicious. Although the real estate agency had expensive sales from time to time. It was also odd for the couple to require a vacant home in just a few days, giving Lindsay little time to locate homes or hone in on her suspicions.
Despite her concerns, she decided to show the couple a home that she thought fit their criteria. There was an empty house in Gordon Head Saanich, an upscale Victorian suburb. To put her father’s and friends’ minds at ease, as well as her own, she asked her boyfriend to join her at the showing. Lindsay made an appointment with the client to show the home at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 2, 2008
The Murder of Lindsay Buziak
On the day of the murder, Lindsay had lunch with Jason before leaving the restaurant in separate vehicles. Lindsay wanted to arrive at the Saanich property before the scheduled showing at 5:30 p.m. Shortly after arriving at the house, Jason texted Lindsay to tell her that he had stopped to pick up a friend and that he would be a little late. Lindsay replied to the next, saying that she would see him soon.
According to witnesses, Lindsay met with a male and female at 1702 De Sousa Place at 5:30 p.m. The man was as being about six feet tall with dark hair. The woman had short blonde hair, was wearing a patterned dress, and appeared to be around 35 to 45 years old. The three shook hands and then entered the property.
Approximately 10 minutes later, Jason pulled up to the home, where he saw a man and woman starting to exit the house. Upon seeing Jason, the couple quickly turned around and went back inside. Jason and his friend then waited outside for another 20 minutes before texting Lindsay. This time she has yet to respond.
Jason Anxiety
With no response, Jason tried to enter the home through the front door. She locked the doors, but he could see Lindsay’s shoes through the glass. Nervous about the situation, Jason called 911. While they waited for police to arrive, Jason helped his friend over the back fence, where they discovered the patio door slightly ajar. The friend entered the home and unlocked the front door to allow Jason inside.
After entering the home, Jason called out for Lindsay, but she did not respond. He ran upstairs to find Lindsay dead in a pool of blood in the primary bedroom. He immediately contacted 911 again. When responders arrived, Lindsay Buziak was pronounced dead on the scene.
Police said Lindsey had received more than 40 stab wounds. The police believed she was surprised from behind, as she had no defensive wounds. Lindsay exhibited no signs of sexual assault, and authorities do not believe the crime was related to a robbery.
Investigation of Murder Lindsay Buziak
Police took Jason and his friend into custody after discovering Lindsay’s body. However, they were soon released without charge as their version of events was verified via surveillance footage, proving that they couldn’t have committed the murder. Jason has been interviewed multiple times over the years and has always cooperated with the police. He also passed a polygraph test.
Unfortunately, there was a lack of fingerprints, DNA, or physical evidence on the scene. The murder was believed to be well-planned and carried out by individuals who may have killed before.
The mysterious caller woman bought the phone she used in Vancouver just a few months before the murder. It was only activated days before the showing and only used to speak to Lindsay. The phone was activated under Paulo Rodriguez, which police believe is fictitious and registered at an actual address, a business in Vancouver. However, the police believe this business had nothing to do with the case and was chosen randomly by the killers.
The Zailo family became suspects due to their connection with the area in which the murder took place in a cul-de-sac known as De Sousa Court, named after its developer, Joe De Sousa, a friend and business associate of Jason’s mother and Lindsay’s employer, Shirley Zailo. At the time of the murder, part of the cul-de-sac was under construction, and Joe De Sousa had been at the location supervising the construction just one hour before the murder. However, the police have stated that no one in the Zailo family is a suspect.
Lindsay Buziak Murder Theories
Many theories surround the Lindsay Buziak murder case, including her connection with illegal drug trafficking. On January 22, 2008, Alberta’s most significant drug bust occurred. And a friend of Lindsay’s ex-boyfriend was arrested as a significant participant in the operation. About eight weeks before her murder, Lindsay had tried to contact this person while visiting her father in Calgary.
Some people believe that the drug cartel may have ordered Lindsey’s murder, as she may have been considered a police informant. However, authorities do not believe this theory to be accurate as Lindsay was not a police informant, and the nature of the murder did not align with a hired killer’s usual methods. Seasoned investigators believe the murder was personal and planned by someone close to her.
Fight for Justice
After her murder in 2008, there was little progress in the case. However, her father fights on her behalf every day to find her killers and get justice. Jeff Buziak put up a $500,000 reward for information about Lindsay’s murder. He also created a website to help find the culprits.
Over the years, police have received several tips regarding Lindsay’s case. On August 6, 2017, an unknown user posted a message to Lindsay’s father’s website, stating:
“I killed Lindsey and stupid cops will never prove it. Cut the phoney investigation. It’s done. Go home losers. Forget about her. The street always rules. B–ches die every day.”
Police did not believe this post to be credible.
While it has been nearly 15 years since Lindsay’s murder, Saanich Police Sergeant Julie Fast has stated that Lindsay’s murder is not a “cold case” and that the investigation is still open and active. She added, “We remain fully committed to solving this murder, but need the public’s help. Someone knows what happened to Lindsay but has not come forward with their information yet. We ask that now is the time to do so.”
