Hockey sticks intended to honour Cooper Nemeth stolen from his parents’ garage

WINNIPEG — Hockey sticks intended to honour Cooper Nemeth have been stolen from his parents’ garage in the River East area.

Andrew Skogen, a friend of Nemeth, said there were 40 hockey sticks in the shed, and 15 were stolen Wednesday evening.

Family and friends had been collecting sticks, including some of Nemeth’s old ones, hoping to turn it into a bench honouring the 17-year-old, who was killed in February.

READ MORE: Timeline of Winnipeg teen Cooper Nemeth’s disappearance

“The parents just really do want the sticks back,” Skogen said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The parents just really do want the sticks back," Skogen said.

“They are broken sticks and have no value to anyone but them, as they are their family and friends’ sticks collected to make a commemorative piece for Cooper,” he added.

Skogen said there is now a reward if the sticks are returned to the family.

Police said they are aware of the incident and are investigating.

RELATED: Cooper Nemeth ‘celebration of life’ held

On Feb. 13, 2016, Nemeth went missing after leaving a house party in the Valley Gardens area. His body was found days later in a bin outside a house on Bayne Crescent, not far from where he was last seen.

On Feb. 21, Winnipeg police charged Nicolas Bell-Wright with second-degree murder in the death of Nemeth. His trial has not started yet.