‘A kind soul’: Friend of Vancouver homicide victim shocked, saddened

A friend of Vancouver’s first homicide victim of the year placed flowers outside an East Vancouver home on Saturday.

“It’s been surreal … just been hard to process it,” Paul Forhan said.

On Jan. 28 at 1 a.m., Vancouver police were called to a home on Henry Street, near East 33 Ave and Knight Street.

Officers said 31-year-old Alexander Lo was found dead on the floor of the home.

Forhan remembers Lo as a caring friend.

“He was a kind soul. He had a very good sense of humour (and) wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Forhan said.

At the time of the incident, police said a 39-year-old man was arrested at the scene.

On Jan. 29, Vancouver police said Dwight Williams Kematch has been charged with second-degree homicide and remains in custody.

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“The cause of death is still under investigation, as well as what the motive was (and) what the relationship was,” Const. Tania Visintin said, with Vancouver police. “We’re still gathering evidence and conducting interviews so we can piece this homicide together and find out what led up to it.”

Forhan said he doesn’t know how his friend knew the suspect. He said he talked to Lo that weekend and nothing seemed amiss.

“(I had) regular conversation with Alex … it’s sad,” he said.

An online fundraiser has been created to help Lo’s family with funeral expenses.

“They’re crushed. The mother’s distraught. Alex’s brother is beside himself,” Forhan said. “He’s loved and missed.”

The investigation is ongoing and is being led by VPD’s homicide unit.