When Kevin Armstrong got an emergency alert about the fatal stabbing of an elderly woman in Pickering on Thursday, he thought he recognized the address mentioned.
The pastor, who had known the victim for over thirty years at his church, initially questioned if it could really be her. His wife reached out to the woman and left a voicemail, hoping it wasn’t true.
“When we found out later on it was her, we were devastated. We were floored,” he told .
“She would have been welcoming to any person, any stranger coming up to her. She would have had her hands wide open to see what she could do to help them.”
CBC is not naming the victim at her family’s request.
The woman, described by the community as a retired kindergarten teacher in her 80s, was outside her home when she was repeatedly stabbed in an attack that police call unprovoked, “sadistic and cowardly.”
A 14-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder related to her death after a lengthy search that prompted nearby residents to stay indoors.
His identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Police believe he did not know the woman.
Armstrong expressed that the circumstances surrounding her death are tragic.
“She would be the first one to want to see this young man get help and the first one to forgive him,” he said.
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Kevin Armstrong knew the victim, who was a member of Forest Brook Community Church in Ajax, where he’s a senior pastor. (Talia Ricci/CBC)
Armstrong told CBC Toronto that the woman’s husband faced mobility challenges and she was his main caregiver.
“This will be very hard for him,” he said.
Well-known for being generous, kind-hearted, friendly and witty, she was well-loved within their congregation. Armstrong added that she participated actively in their seniors’ group and library committee.
“You wouldn’t find a better person,” he said. Peoples Christian Academy , a private school located in Markham , confirmed that she taught kindergarten there during the early ’70s. Remembered for her sense of humor , Armstrong recounted how she and her husband maintained a scarecrow by their fence. The couple would dress it up with seasonal outfits or holiday decorations like Halloween or Christmas. “She did that for her neighborhood so people walking by would see this scarecrow and [it would] bring a smile to their face,” said Armstrong. “That was one of the things that was really special about her. She loved to have fun and she loved to play.”![]()
The scarecrow the victim and her husband would dress up still stands at their home , dressed in all-Canadian fashion. (CBC)
Several bouquets of flowers were placed outside the woman’s home on Friday, accompanied by cards expressing sympathy while calling her “a beautiful soul that was taken too soon.” Neighbors told they believed she was tending her garden when she was attackedWATCH | What we know about the fatal stabbing in Pickering on Thursday:
What we know so far about the fatal stabbing in Pickering , Ont.A 14-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder after an elderly woman was fatally stabbed in Pickering , Ont. CBC ’ s Clara Pasieka breaks down what we know so far about the ongoing investigation.
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe confirmed that this woman was indeed in her 80s and stated that her passing has deeply affected the community.
He mentioned having spoken with neighbors on Thursday , who described her as “a very nice” lady , who often walked dogs around the neighborhood while caring for her husband.
“It’s obviously ripped the family apart. So it is very, it’s very, very dramatic and traumatic,” he told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning earlier Friday.
Armstrong revealed that his church will adjust its upcoming Sunday service to reflect on this tragedy.
“We’ll grieve. A lot of people who knew her have broken hearts. We started that process already.”
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‘You wouldn’t find a better person’
Armstrong shared that the woman was a member of Forest Brook Community Church in Ajax, where he serves as senior pastor. She had been part of their church community for many years before moving with her husband to St. Paul’s Church, he noted.“You wouldn’t find a better person,” he said. Peoples Christian Academy , a private school located in Markham , confirmed that she taught kindergarten there during the early ’70s. Remembered for her sense of humor , Armstrong recounted how she and her husband maintained a scarecrow by their fence. The couple would dress it up with seasonal outfits or holiday decorations like Halloween or Christmas. “She did that for her neighborhood so people walking by would see this scarecrow and [it would] bring a smile to their face,” said Armstrong. “That was one of the things that was really special about her. She loved to have fun and she loved to play.”
Several bouquets of flowers were placed outside the woman’s home on Friday, accompanied by cards expressing sympathy while calling her “a beautiful soul that was taken too soon.” Neighbors told they believed she was tending her garden when she was attackedWATCH | What we know about the fatal stabbing in Pickering on Thursday:
What we know so far about the fatal stabbing in Pickering , Ont.A 14-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder after an elderly woman was fatally stabbed in Pickering , Ont. CBC ’ s Clara Pasieka breaks down what we know so far about the ongoing investigation.
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe confirmed that this woman was indeed in her 80s and stated that her passing has deeply affected the community.
He mentioned having spoken with neighbors on Thursday , who described her as “a very nice” lady , who often walked dogs around the neighborhood while caring for her husband.
“It’s obviously ripped the family apart. So it is very, it’s very, very dramatic and traumatic,” he told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning earlier Friday.
Armstrong revealed that his church will adjust its upcoming Sunday service to reflect on this tragedy.
“We’ll grieve. A lot of people who knew her have broken hearts. We started that process already.”Source link
