Family of Calgary woman killed in random attack mourning her loss

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An interim memorial with flowers and letters grows next to a Beltline office building in memory of a young Calgary woman who was killed by a stranger.

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First aiders found Vanessa Ladouceur, 31, unconscious and suffering from stab wounds on 10th Avenue SE around 6 p.m. 6:40 on March 18th. She died of her injuries shortly afterwards.

Ladouceur was half a block from her job when she was attacked, her family wrote in a statement to Postmedia.

“She was fighting for her life. Despite initial efforts, she died on the spot when a security guard held her hand,” the statement said.

“We are still in shock and can not believe she is gone. She has left a big void. Everyone who knew her expresses what spark and a light she was in their lives. She would always be there when “Someone had grief or sadness, and wanted space for them. She never hesitated to support another person.”

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Her family described Ladouceur as an “incredibly intelligent, ridiculously funny, happy, loving” person. She was spiritual, loved nature and trained for her first half Ironman this summer.

Ladouceur cared deeply about people who experienced homelessness in the city and knew some of them by name, her family wrote.

Last Thanksgiving, she spent the last of her money on a one-person meal, socks and gloves. When the weather was cold, she bought mittens to hang from branches along 17th Avenue for people who needed them.

Now the family is asking the Calgarians to donate to a shelter or make a simple gesture by buying a cup of coffee or a snack for someone in her memory.

“Vanessa was so sincerely kind, and it would mean so much to her to see more such kind acts happen in the world.”

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Michael John Adenyi, 26, is charged with first-degree murder. He appeared in court Monday by telephone. His case is set to resume on March 30.

Doug King, a professor of justice at Mount Royal University, said most homicide victims know their killer, making an alien-motivated homicide “extraordinarily rare.”

“Most killings are the result of passion crimes, which means it typically involves things like anger, rage, inciting hostility. With this kind of situation, we just do not know,” King said.

According to Calgary police, the killing of Paul March, who was attacked in June 2021 after trying to intervene in a fight in the center, was categorized as accidental.

The death of Tlamquan Yang and the fatal stabbing of chef Christophe Herblin in 2020 were also considered accidental killings.

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Police said no casualties were reported in 2019.

Ladouceur’s death will have a greater impact on society, not only because of the tragic loss, but because of the unpredictability and unsettling nature of her death, he said.

“Her death is more important than the tragic loss of the young woman’s life. It has ripple effects throughout society, ”King said.

Police need to continue their investigation, but he said he believes officers should do more to reach out to people in the area of ​​Ladouceur’s death. “The fear of crime, especially among young women who are in and around the same neighborhood, must be deep.”

Jagriti Dhingra said she thinks of Ladouceur every time she walks past the memorial. Dhingra lives a few meters from the place where Ladouceur was attacked, which is along the route she takes to get to the gym in the morning.

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“When we pass that special place, all the memories come back. It’s just so sad that I can not even imagine what the family is going through,” Dhingra said. “She was only 31.”

That morning, Dhingra said she remembers looking down from the balcony of her apartment to see several police cars blocking off the street. As she walked downstairs, she saw a shaker cup close by where Ladouceur’s body had been found hours before.

“After that, we will not go any further, especially in the gym. We usually take the car and try to park as close as possible. ”

Asked what outreach work the Calgary police have done so far, CPS spokeswoman Lindsay Nykoluk did not provide specific actions, but said local resource officers are actively involved in the Beltline community.

Anyone with concerns is encouraged to contact the CROs by calling the District 1 office at 403-428-6100, Nykoluk said.

– With files from Bill Kaufmann

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Twitter: @BrittGervaisAB