Family members of a couple killed last year in the Chilliwack River Valley say their absence has left an "unfillable void."
"Today, Friday, September 13th, marks one year since my parents, Valerie Smith and John Kavaloff, were brutally murdered in a double homicide at Baker Trails Trailer Park, up Chilliwack Lake Road," Smith's son, Travis Finnigan, wrote in a social media post.
The couple's 83-year-old neighbour, Robert (Bob) Freeman, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder one day later, in what police at the time called an "isolated incident" between neighbours.
"My parents were completely innocent, loving people – cherished grandparents – whose lives were tragically cut short by a mentally unstable neighbour, all because of a grudge over their two-pound beloved Yorkie," Finnigan wrote.
"And yet, despite this senseless and horrific act, Bob Freeman remains a free man. Over the past year, our family has endured not only the immense pain of losing Valerie and John but also the ongoing frustration and heartbreak of a justice system that continues to fail us."
Several court appearances have been adjourned and rescheduled over the year, akin to "dragging this process out endlessly," Finnigan said.
The next court date on Oct. 7 might see a trial date set, but even then, the proceedings could still be a year or more away, he said.
"Justice remains agonizingly out of reach," Finnigan wrote.
Family is grappling with the "unbearable truth" that the suspect is living "freely in our community, with no restrictions – no curfew, no ankle bracelet – while our parents are gone forever," he wrote.
"Their absence leaves an unfillable void in the lives of their family, friends, and grandchildren.
"The government and its broken catch-and-release system have failed not only our family but anyone else who has faced a tragedy like this. It’s a cruel reminder that justice is not only delayed but may be denied entirely.
"Our family, and so many others, are left vulnerable and unprotected while dangerous individuals remain free. The system that is supposed to protect the innocent has allowed the guilty to walk freely, and that is simply unacceptable.
"We demand justice, not just for Valerie and John, but for every family that has been betrayed by a system that values the rights of criminals over the safety and peace of victims," the son concluded.
