SURREY — Fallen Canadian hero Steve Fonyo remains in hospital after being stabbed in the back and severely beaten by attackers at his Whalley home early Friday morning.
Police say the victim of the attack had been in a medically induced coma over the weekend. By Monday, his condition had been upgraded from critical to stable.
Police did not name Fonyo as the victim of the brutal attack, but Friday reported they were called to a home in the 11000-block of 136th Street and found a 49-year-old man suffering from stab wounds.
Cpl. Bert Paquet said police are sure the victim was targeted and an early investigation suggests a possible home invasion involving three suspects.
Friends, family and neighbours confirmed 49-year-old Fonyo was the stabbing victim.
On Saturday, Fonyo’s ex-wife Lisa Greenwood was at Royal Columbian Hospital with a documentary film crew that has been following the ups and downs of Fonyo’s life.
A friend of Fonyo’s said Fonyo had suffered a collapsed lung. The friend said over the past week Fonyo had been upbeat about his prospects and he had been spending time with a documentary film crew shooting a story about his life.
Fonyo lost a leg to bone cancer as a child and, following his hero Terry Fox’s example, ran across Canada in 1985. He was a one-time member of the Order of Canada for his cancer fundraising efforts before drug addiction and persistent brushes with crime destroyed his reputation.
Paquet said it is too early in this investigation to speculate on motives for the targeted stabbing.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact Surrey RCMP’s serious crime unit at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.solvecrime.ca.
