Candles, pictures and plenty of memories were shared at a vigil Saturday night to remember a young Penticton, B.C., mother on what would have been her 22nd birthday.
It was a birthday occasion her grieving family never imagined they would be marking with this type of tribute.
“Absolutely not. No,” said a tearful Debbie Norris. “She was so full of life and had so many plans, and she was just such a kind, outgoing person.”
Norris is the grandmother of Alexa Knodel, who was found deceased in her apartment building this past spring.
She left behind a young son, just a year old at the time.
“She was a wonderful mother,” Debbie Norris said.
RCMP have called her death a homicide but no arrests have been made in the case.
“It honestly makes it a lot harder to process, you know, why this happened,” said Ozwald Norris, Knodel’s cousin.
It was June 7 when police were called to an apartment building on Lakeshore Drive in the early morning hours after receiving a report of a person shot.
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When they arrived, they discovered a deceased woman inside with what police described as a significant gunshot wound.
Knodel’s family has desperately been waiting for the investigation to progress.
“I don’t think words can describe what justice would feel like for our family,” Ozwald Norris said. “It might, you know, make the grieving process a little easier.”
In an email to Global News, Penticton RCMP stated its “investigation into the matter involving Alex Knodel is still on-going at this time”.
It added, “the Penticton RCMP Investigative Services is preparing the case for charge assessment.”
RCMP also said that further updates will follow when appropriate.
Knodel’s family is anxious for that next step and justice for their loved one.
“She was the most joyful person you could ever meet,” said Ozwald Norris. “She would make friends in a matter of seconds. She would make sure you know your voice was heard in the loudest room.”
While the void left behind can never be filled, the family hopes closure can help in their healing process.
“It would be justice for her. Definitely not going to bring her back but I suppose it would give answers,” said Debbie Norris.
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