Duane Squires recalls an incident from last year when his eldest son misplaced a Jibbitz shoe charm from his Crocs. In a heartfelt victim impact statement submitted to the Court of King’s Bench, Squires, a detective constable with the Saint John Police Force, shared the emotional ordeal of searching for the charm, a precious memento of his son’s late friend who tragically lost his life along with his brother at the hands of their father, Roman Kamyshnyy.
The devastating loss prompted the basketball team, to which the boys belonged, to create Jibbitz and stickers in memory of the youngest victim. After a jury found Kamyshnyy guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, Justice Darrell Stephenson revealed the chilling motive behind the murders – an act of vengeance against his ex-wife for ending their marriage.
Despite Kamyshnyy’s claim of memory loss regarding the events, he received two life sentences without parole for 25 years. The impact of the murders reverberated deeply within the community, affecting individuals like Duane Squires and his wife, Sara, who grappled with the heartbreaking task of explaining the tragedy to their son. The loss of innocence for their child and the lasting impact on their family underscored the profound repercussions of the heinous crime.
The ripple effects extended to Saint John High School, where the loss of the teenage victim, C.D., left a lasting emotional and psychological impact on students and staff. The community at large, including first responders and justice officials, grappled with the shock and grief brought about by the murders, which shattered the sense of security and unity within the city.
As the city continues to mourn and heal, the call to honor the victims’ memory by reinforcing commitments to protect children, support families in distress, and promote community solidarity remains paramount in the aftermath of this tragic event.