The family of slain Victoria artist Jeremy Gordaneer wants to know why someone murdered their much-loved father and brother last August.
“We want answers. Someone took our dad away. So I think we just really want to know what happened and why we don’t get to have a dad anymore,” daughter Clea Gordaneer says through tears in a YouTube video released by Victoria police on Wednesday, the first anniversary of Gordaneer’s death.
“I want to know what happened. Not knowing why he’s not part of my life anymore has been hard,” says her sister, Sylvie.
The five-minute video, issued in an effort to elicit information to assist the investigation, includes interviews with Gordaneer’s daughters, as well as his sister Alisa Gordaneer, who says her brother was her best friend and she doesn’t know how to exist without him.
In the video, Gordaneer’s daughters share their grief, but also happy memories. There are many photos of family life and Gordaneer’s artwork.
At the time of his death, Gordaneer was living in Edmonton and visiting his mother in Victoria.
At about 5 a.m. on Aug. 31, 2021, Victoria police were called to the home of Gordaneer’s mother in the 1000 block of Carberry Gardens, near Craigdarroch Castle in Rockland.
Officers and B.C. Emergency Health Services paramedics went to the scene and found Gordaneer inside suffering from life-threatening injuries. They provided emergency first aid, but the 49-year-old died from his injuries.
The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made, police said, adding there is nothing to indicate that there is a risk to the public.
In the video, Alisa Gordaneer says she has a feeling that whoever killed Jeremy is in a lot of pain themselves.
“I would like to hear their story and understand what happened and what their pain was,” she says.
She says her brother’s murder has turned her life “completely upside down.”
“There’s a huge void. The world without Jeremy doesn’t make sense,” she says.
“He was always the person I could count on, always the person I could call at any time of day and night … whatever was going on, he’d be there for me.
“I’ve been in so much pain and so much mystery for the last number of months.”
Sylvie remembers how caring and comforting her father was. She recalls a trip the two of them made to Parksville, where they stopped at a beach.
“And he started chasing bunny rabbits and obviously couldn’t catch any because they’re fast and he was just really goofy. And it was just really nice to spend that one-on-one quality time with my dad.”
Clea, who used to dress up in his clothes and call herself Mini-Pop, says her father could always see the good in the world. “I miss just having a dad,” she says.
Anyone with information is asked to call the the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit’s information line at 250-380-6211 or submit a tip online at vicpd.ca/gordaneertips.
