Bowmanville woman was pregnant at time of double murder: police

Durham police continue to investigate after a man and woman were found dead in a home in Bowmanville this weekend, as authorities identified the victims as a young married couple in their 20s and confirmed the woman was pregnant.

Officers responded shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday after receiving a call to check on the well-being of the occupants of a home in Bowmanville. When police arrived, they found two deceased adults with what authorities say were “obvious signs of trauma.”

The couple was identified as 28-year-old Aram Kamel and his wife, 26-year-old Rafad Alzubaidy. Durham police Sgt. Joanne Bortoluss confirmed with CityNews that the cause of death was gunshot wounds to both parties, and the number of wanted suspects is unknown. 

RELATED: Police identify 2 people found dead in Bowmanville home

A neighbour described Alzubaidy as kind and friendly and estimated that the woman was around four months pregnant with the couple’s first child. Police have determined that the two bodies were discovered during a wellness check but haven’t provided further details, though a nearby resident tells CityNews it was Kamel and Alzubaidy’s dog walker who made the tragic discovery. 

Durham police are investigating the discovery of two bodies in Bowmanville. Photo: CityNews/David Piedra

Several surrounding homes in the neighbourhood have security cameras installed. CityNews was informed by a source that a suspicious car was captured outside Kamel and Alzubaidy’s house at the time of the incident — images that are now in the hands of Durham police.

“The time of death we don’t have. That will be established once we have all the surveillance photos and have spoken to witnesses,” Sgt. Bortoluss said. “They are working very hard on information and getting them out to the public.”

CityNews has since learned that Kamel owned a jewelry store in Toronto and had a workshop at his Bowmanville residence, where the couple had been living for approximately two years. 

Police say the two are the third and fourth victims of homicide in Durham Region in 2023.