Manslaughter to second-degree murder: Charge upgraded for Chilliwack man accused of killing Chantelle Ruhl in April
David Dalton Knox also charged with indignity to human remains for allegedly dumping 37-year-old Ruhl's body near tracks April
Chilliwack Crown counsel has upped the charge against the man accused of killing 37-year-old Chantelle Ruhl in April 2025 in Chilliwack, and then dumping her body near the Southern Rail tracks behind the old Canadian Tire on Vedder Road.
David Dalton Knox was originally charged with manslaughter and causing indignity to human remains. Knox appeared in Chilliwack provincial court via video from the Surrey Pretrial Centre on Friday (Oct. 31, 2025), where Crown counsel Aaron Burns told Judge Peter Whyte the charge is now upgraded to second-degree murder.
The difference between the two charges is mainly around intent. Manslaughter is killing someone the person didn’t mean to kill but the death was caused by criminal negligence, recklessness, or a sudden act that went to far.
Second-degree murder is intentionally killing someone, but without the pre-meditation and planning required for first-degree murder.
On April 21, 2025, Ruhl's body was found near the Southern Rail line behing the old Canadian Tire on Vedder Road after the Chilliwack RCMP responded to a report of a suspicious incident at approximately 11 a.m. on April 21.
She was unhoused living on the streets at the time of her death.
The information has not yet come out in court, and is subject to a publication ban anyway, but Ruhl’s actual date of death was two days prior on April 19. That and the charge of indignity to human remains suggests she was killed somewhere else and dumped where she was found.
A small cross and flowers were erected in the gap between blackberry bushes where her body was located near the rail line.
The day she was found, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) was called out by the Chilliwack RCMP Serious Crimes Unit in conjunction with the Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS).
Chantelle Ruhl (left) in a high-school graduation photo, and David Knox in 2006 after he was arrested for shooting up a classroom at Sardis Secondary School with an airsoft gun. (Facebook, Progress archives)
"Throughout the course of this investigation, IHIT has worked in close partnership with the Chilliwack RCMP and IFIS to identify a suspect, understand the circumstances around the homicide and recommend charges," according to an IHIT news release from April.
On Sept. 6, 2025, the BC Prosecution Service charged Knox with manslaughter and indignity to human remains for the death of Ruhl, but the family was told early on they were investigating whether this should be upgraded to second-degree murder.
Knox has a lengthy criminal record spanning the entire two decades of his adult life all in Chilliwack, including six ‘K’ files, which is a court designation referring to domestic violence.
He received media coverage the year he legally became an adult in 2006 when he shot up a classroom at Sardis Secondary with an airsoft pellet gun.
Knox was a former student of SSS described as being “‘unsuccessful’ in his studies” in a newspaper article on March 28, 2006.
She was a person
"Chantelle’s warmth and compassion extended far beyond her family, touching the hearts of countless friends and members of her community," Catherine Jane Goldbaum wrote in a Facebook post after Ruhl’s killing. "Known for her genuine kindness and unwavering support, she was the friend everyone could rely on, always eager to lend a helping hand or a listening ear. Her ability to connect with people from all walks of life created a tapestry of friendships that reflected her inclusive and loving nature."
Ruhl had been “living rough” on the streets having been unable to find housing on more than one occasion.
"Affectionately known as Chany... born on November 2, 1987, Chantelle graced the world with her caring spirit and thoughtful heart," her mother wrote.
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Paul J. Henderson
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