EDMONTON – Police are calling the death of a man whose body was found inside of an Edmonton home on Saturday afternoon a homicide.
Police say an autopsy has been completed but that the cause of Demetrios Karahalios’ death is not being released at this time, since the investigation is still taking place.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) taped off the home near 102 Ave. and 120 St. Saturday afternoon, after Karahalios’ body was found inside.
The 48-year-old – who was better known by those close to him as ‘Coco’ and ‘Jimmy’ – is being remembered by friends as a pillar of the gay community.
READ MORE: Edmonton police investigate suspicious death in Oliver
“I was devastated,” says Jimmie Dexter. “I broke down right away.”
“There’s one of your best friends, just gone.”
“It’s our community, it’s one of our best friends, our biggest supporter, biggest ally, and now he’s gone.”
Dexter says Jimmy was an employee of Buddys Nite Club, but adds he was also a leader in Edmonton’s gay community.
“Having somebody there that didn’t judge you for anything you’ve done or said… he took people in off the street to help them… we’ve definitely lost an angel in our community.”
Dexter is organizing a vigil Tuesday night in front of Jimmy’s house. He says those who want to share their memories and feelings are welcome. The vigil will begin at 7 p.m.
“I thank him for getting me to where I am today, and I thank him for hundreds of others that he’s helped and supported and shown the way, guided through the awkward life of being gay, definitely a hero in my eyes.”
Dexter describes his friend as a “very fun-loving, all around great guy, amazing guy,” and a “huge mentor to everyone.”
Jim Brown, who owns Buddys and Woodys, was worried when Jimmy didn’t show up for work on Friday, saying it was extremely out of character. Friends on staff couldn’t reach him by phone.
“When we still hadn’t heard from him on Saturday, we made the decision to go over and see if he was OK,” says Brown.
“We were really hoping to find him sleeping, or whatever… unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”
Brown says one thing he’ll always remember about Jimmy is the way he used humour to brighten any situation.
“When you were sad, or down-and-out, or something was on your mind, he had a way of recognizing that and going to them, and usually was able to bring some humour, and lighten the situation, and in many cases, opening people’s eyes.”
“He was always willing and wanting to help people.”
Friends say Jimmy was from Montreal originally, and lived in Saskatchewan before moving to Edmonton.
“I met him shortly after I moved to the city,” says Curt Williams, a friend and former co-worker, who first met Jimmy in 2002.
“He fed people, he looked after people, he had no problem telling you what he thought about anything.”
“He’s a personality – very, very big personality. He had a great way of making any situation funny.”
Williams says Jimmy also wanted to help others, and make everyone feel welcome.
“Every year, he cooked a meal for Christmas for people from the community who had nowhere to go.”
Williams says Jimmy’s death has affected a lot of people, especially co-workers and patrons of Buddys and Woodys Video Bar.
“They have to deal with their own grief, and they’re also going to be dealing with the grief of the community.”
“We all have a lot of questions right now about what happened and why, and really, none of that is going to bring him back right now. I think right now we have more of a – as a community here – we have more of a responsibility to make sure that we worry about helping everybody grieve first, and then we’ll worry about the details and the questions,” says Williams.
Police do not believe the victim was targeted because of his sexual orientation.
“Whether this was motivated by his orientation or not, it really doesn’t matter. It’s a senseless tragedy.”
Karahalios’ death is Edmonton’s fifth homicide of the year.
Comments